NEW JERSEY DEVILS VS NEW YORK ISLANDERS 01/02/2020 LIVE 7:00 PM ET

Division rivals Devils, Isles ready for battle

Two teams that ended 2019 with big victories look to carry momentum into the new year when the New Jersey Devils visit the New York Islanders on Thursday night.

The Devils, while still in the Metropolitan Division basement, have been much improved of late. They're 5-2-1 in their past eight games and have won two straight, including a 3-2 shootout victory over the Boston Bruins on Tuesday.

Blake Coleman and Jesper Bratt scored in regulation, and Mackenzie Blackwood made 28 saves for the Devils. Damon Severson scored the deciding goal in the sixth round of the shootout.

The Devils, who rallied from a 2-0 deficit, will be trying for their first three-game winning streak of the season.

"This is a new group with a lot of new faces," Blackwood said. "Everyone has each other's back, and no one has any quit in them. Whether we get down a goal or two, everyone plays the same way. I think we're really starting to learn how to win and what it takes to play the right way."

Blackwood, who ended Tuesday's shootout with a save on Patrice Bergeron, went 5-3 with a .920 save percentage during the month of December.

"(Blackwood) has been a difference maker. He's a big reason for our success lately and we still have half the season left so he'll try to keep it rolling," Devils coach Alain Nasreddine said. "He'll be a big part of that. So if he continues like this, there's no reason not to believe he can be a Calder Trophy candidate."

The Islanders were no less impressive on New Year's Eve. They surrendered a 2-0 lead to the Washington Capitals, rallied to go ahead 4-3 in the second period and withstood a furious Capitals push in the third period to hold on for the win.

Semyon Varlamov made 36 saves, 18 in the third period, and Casey Cizikas scored two goals for the Islanders, who have won two in a row after losing three straight games (0-2-1).

"That's a massive win for us, for the guys in this room," Cizikas said. "We're building towards something and we're getting back to our game and tonight is a massive way to kind of do that."

Tom Kuhnhackl gave the Islanders a 4-3 lead midway through the second period and Brock Nelson also scored as New York improved to 13-2-3 in one-goal games.

Despite their minislump, New York enters the New Year with 53 points for the first time since 1983, in the midst of their Stanley Cup era.

"I think we've learned that we've got to dig in when things aren't going good," coach Barry Trotz said. "You don't want too many losses in row because you don't know what's going to happen in terms of your roster, you don't know how the puck's going to bounce for you ... so any time you take a loss you've got to string (wins) together to stop the bleeding."

The Metropolitan Division rivals, who have yet to meet this season, play twice in the next week.

The Islanders swept the season series last year -- winning both games in New York in regulation and both games in New Jersey in overtime/shootout -- are 11-4-0 in their past 15 games against the Devils.