It wasn't inconceivable for fans of the Edmonton Oilers and New York Rangers to make plans for a meeting during the Stanley Cup Final next spring.

The Red Wings are riding a four-game point streak (3-0-1), collecting seven of a possible eight points in their last four games. Detroit is one of the league’s top teams on home ice, as their seven wins at home tie Colorado, New Jersey and Florida for second in the NHL.

DETROIT — The season is 20 games old, right in the sweet spot where it is still early enough that you need to operate with a degree of caution, but not so early that you can wave away what is happening by calling it a small sample size.

Young star Matthew Schaefer's rapid ascent includes Olympic drug-testing eligibility, positioning him for potential Team Canada selection in 2026.

The New York Islanders were more concerned about the condition of teammate Alexander Romanov after a tense 3-2 win over the Dallas Stars that added another statement victory to a remarkable road trip.

The Islanders finish their long and surprisingly successful road trip tonight in Detroit, back in the Eastern time zone and oh so lose to returning home for a weekend of back-to-back afternoon games.

Bo Horvat scored his 13th goal of the season in the second period before being ejected for high-sticking in the third, and the New York Islanders held on for a 3-2 victory over the Dallas Stars on Tuesday night. Calum Ritchie and Kyle Palmieri also scored and David Rittich made 22 saves for the Islanders, who are 5-1 on their seven-game road swing.

Calum Ritchie and Bo Horvat scored for the Islanders (11-7-2), who are 5-1-0 with one game to go on a seven-game road stretch. Rittich made 22 saves. “It’s good to get the win. Good teams find a way to get the win,” Ritchie said. “Great effort all around all night. That’s a good team over there, so it’s good to get the win.”

“Probably the best power play in the NHL, if not one of the best,” coach Patrick Roy said of the Devils, sixth in the league on the man advantage at 11-for-43 (25.6%). “And I thought our guys were unbelievable on the penalty kill. The blocked shots and the way we cut those lines. And when it wasn’t there, Ilya was phenomenal.”