Islanders News: Solidifying playoff spot, angering Rangers

3 weeks ago  /  Lighthouse Hockey

The Rangers are angry, hehe. | Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images


Bunch of babies out on Seventh Avenue. Another huge win for the New York Islanders, this one over their hated rivals across the East River. And it made the New York Rangers mad. It made a once proud Peter Laviolette look like a bloated and balding baby. If these two teams meet again in the playoffs—and oh yeah, they meet again Saturday afternoon—there will be fireworks.
For the Islanders, it was their fifth straight win, and they still sit in third in the Metro at 87 points, two points ahead of the Washington Capitals and three points ahead of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Detroit Red Wings, all even in games played. They’re also four points up on the Philadelphia Flyers, who have played an extra game.
The Isles are in a great spot relative to the rest of the playoff race. Considering how dead they looked just two weeks ago, the fact that they are in the driver’s seat with four games to play is sincerely wild.
Islanders News
About last night:

Hot start, not so hot finish, but the Isles held on for the regulation win. [LHH]
The three first-period goals held up. But the PK gave up two more, although to one of the league’s best power plays. [3 Takeaways]
Stocking points and gaining in the race. [NHL]
It was a crucial win. [Newsday]
Semyon Varlamov got the start and looked sharp earning the win. [Newsday]
It looked a bit like the blowing leads Islanders were about to show up, but they did not. Perhaps they are turning over a new leaf. [NY Post]
They may actually have some fortitude. [The Athletic]
Peter Laviolette and dumbass Ranger fans were up in arms about Adam Pelech’s “vicious” hit on Mika Zibanejad, which was clearly an accidental collision, and Noah Dobson’s “vicious” hit on Vincent Trocheck, which Jacob Trouba does every fifth game or so. [NY Post]
Patrick Roy disagreed, cutting off the question before it was even finished. [NY Post]
Even Paul Bissonnette thinks the Rangers are being soft as hell about these collisions. [NY Post]

If you go to the New York Post Islanders page, there are a ton of stories from the last couple of days.

Onward:

It’s very possible the Islanders face the Rangers in the playoffs, but the Islanders can’t think about that yet. [Newsday]
Alex Jefferies has three goals in four games since turning pro with the B-Isles. [Bridgeport Report]

This Day in Isles History: Ken Morrow eliminated the Rangers (1984); “Josh Bailey. Game 1, to the Island” (2019).

Elsewhere
Last night’s NHL scores feature a bit of help: The Capitals shut out the Red Wings for 59:58 and kept their win in regulation to snap their losing streak, and the Canadiens spanked the Flyers to extend it to eight straight losses for Philly.

The game-winner in the Caps-Wings game was Alex Ovechkin’s 30th of the season, the 18th time he’s hit the mark, a new record. [NHL]
Philadelphia appears done, and John Tortorella appears out of answers. [Sportsnet]
Jack Hughes is done for the year, having another shoulder surgery. [NHL]
Annual NHLPA Player Poll time. [NHL]
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