The Islanders will be without their captain; John Tavares as they square off with their division rival New Jersey Devils tonight at the coliseum. Tavares is listed as day to day with a back injury and I've been told it is not expected to be a long term ailment.

Taking his place on the first line will be rookie centerman Brock Nelson. This will be a huge opportunity for the young forward as he will get first line minutes with Kyle Okposo and Thomas Vanek.

The loss of Tavares for tonight is obviously a massive one but it gives Nelson a great chance to shine and the Isles hope the recent resurgence of the second line will continue. If the Isles have any chance of getting off the mat then the offensive production of the second line is crucial.

Evgeni Nabokov will start in goal again and his play has been fantastic since return from a stint on injured reserves. With the Islanders playing the Wild tomorrow I would expect Kevin Poulin to get the start on Sunday.

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