Not less than one staff in Columbus had little to have a good time Monday.
In what amounted to a must-win for the Islanders in opposition to a Blue Jackets staff they’re chasing within the wild-card race (that’s, if anybody believes the Islanders are nonetheless within the wild-card race), they put collectively that form of 60- minute effort that was lacking earlier on this battle to win 3-1 on the UBS Area.
It was the form of effort that, if the Islanders might replicate persistently, made them seem like a playoff contender.
Similar to Saturday in opposition to the Sharks, the Isles chased pucks and forechecked laborious all night time whereas their prime six performed as much as expectations — significantly the Matthew Barzal-Bo Horvat mixture, with Barzal twice feeding Horvat for targets.
There was additionally an enormous effort on particular groups, with the Isles scoring on an influence play and getting a shutout on the penalty kill, with a shorthanded rating to make up for Columbus ending the Isles’ PK streak.
The four-on-five effort was the linchpin of a good defensive effort in entrance of Ilya Sorokin, who stopped 24-of-25 pictures because the Islanders hardly ever allowed something inside.
The one blemish on the night time was a possible damage to Noah Dobson, who left the sport early within the third interval after taking a success from Cole Sillinger and didn’t return.
Quietly, the Islanders have received 5 of their final seven video games — it simply hasn’t translated into making up for positions within the standings, partially as a result of the 2 losses got here in opposition to different groups earlier than them. Even after a four-point sport in opposition to the Blue Jackets, they’re nonetheless seven factors out of the second wild-card spot.
Nonetheless, there isn’t any arguing that the Islanders performed certainly one of their finest hockey video games of the season because the new 12 months.
Working example, the second interval on Monday.
Down 1-0 on a objective by Kent Johnson within the first sport, the Islanders relaxed and went to work. Horvath’s line with Barzal and Anders Lee was dominant, scoring simply 43 seconds into the interval as Barzal fed Horvath behind the online.
The duo would rating the same objective on the facility play 5:47 into the interval, with Barzal driving across the offensive zone earlier than choosing out Horvath for yet another time.
In the meantime, the penalty kick took benefit after Zach Werenski was tripped within the impartial zone and Jean-Gabriel Pago handballed Simon Holmstorm for a objective.
It was certainly one of three penalties the Islanders managed to soak up the second — and at five-on-five, they performed ice persistently.
For the second sport in a row, the Islanders needed to maintain a 3-1 lead into the ultimate 20 minutes and did so once more with out incident.
The third interval — a operating blooper reel for the primary six weeks of the season — has turn into secure territory for the Islanders when main.
If they will make that enchancment on the fly, then perhaps there’s hope that their sturdy few weeks of particular groups play may be sustained as nicely.
The place of the Islanders within the standings is such that if they’re to have any likelihood of creating a streak, they should rack up wins. One loss might harm them as a lot as a number of wins assist, particularly in opposition to one other Japanese staff.
For that cause, the percentages are stacked in opposition to them, even when the Islanders have actually discovered one thing of their sport just lately.
However even at this level, the objective remains to be to make the playoffs.
