5 NHL questions: Islanders finish trip in Montreal, Ducks defend home record
A daily feature that asks the five biggest questions about today’s NHL action. Will they be answered? (That doesn’t count as one of the five questions.)
James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports
New York has lost the first three games of its road trip by a combined score of 12-4. So the main issue on Sunday won't be the absence of Thomas Vanek, but the play of the blueline. Luckily for the Isles, the Canadiens also have been struggling to find any offensive consistency lately. If goalie Evgeni Nabokov can put up a solid performance in net, the Islanders might manage some points out of this road trip.
2. Will the Sharks snap their losing streak?
After a red-hot start to the season, the San Jose Sharks have fallen back to Earth in a bad way. They've dropped four straight as their usually sound defense and netminding have collapsed. Luckily for them, their opponent on Sunday has been the epitome of inconsistency this season. Speaking of...
3. Will the real Evander Kane show up?
It's been another rocky year for the Jets and their star winger. On Friday, Kane called out coach Claude Noel for a perceived unfair benching. Kane insists he's totally healthy, but he hasn't looked himself all season. A strong game would go a long way toward fending off his critics.
4. Will the Oilers get out of their funk?
Edmonton dropped their 14th loss in 18 games on Saturday in Philadelphia, and their road trip doesn't get any easier with a visit to Chicago on Sunday. The good news is that Taylor Hall and David Perron are back, but so far that hasn't been enough to keep the Oilers in the "W" column. Can they shock Chicago on Sunday?
5. Will the Ducks finally lose at home?
Anaheim is 7-0-0 at the Honda Center this season, and you'd think they'd extend that streak against the struggling Canucks on Sunday. Vancouver lost in embarrassing fashion in Los Angeles on Saturday, so they aren't exactly coming in hot. Perhaps a goalie change (Eddie Lack for Roberto Luongo) will be enough to spark a victory.
More from SB Nation NHL:
See More:
