No, we’re not gonna make it…
The New York Islanders made the Eastern Conference playoff race that much more interesting by losing their third straight regulation game to the Philadelphia Flyers, allowing the visitors to pull into a four-way tie of teams with 88 points.
The Islanders were outshot 12-2 and outscored 2-0 in the first period, then gave up the next goal in the second to Matvei Michkov before J-G Pageau got them on the board. That would be their only goal, and the only brief celebration
in Elmont, which was otherwise characterized by much-deserved boos as the Isles never got any closer.
Travis Sanheim made it 4-1 midway through the third period, removing any hope of even a Patrick Roy half-a-period-long sixth attacker kind of miracle comeback.
[NHL Gamecenter | Game Summary | Event Summary | Natural Stat Trick]
The Islanders finish the night still in playoff position because coughing that up was a mathematical impossibility with no other Eastern teams in action. A win tomorrow in Carolina would keep them in that position, but each of these teams except Philadelphia has a chance to leap them. Every team with 88 points has a game in hand on them, and Detroit and Ottawa have two.
The Isles have five games remaining, with an odd four-day gap between games after their first Hurricanes meeting, when they can spend their idle time watching the other teams make up ground. One game is against Ottawa, so there’s a bit of potential destiny control, but the Isles haven’t been doing much of that at this critical time.
It’s maybe fatalist to dwell on all these scenarios and say they’re not gonna make it when they at least have 89 points banked and the other chasers are at 88. Bt they have not looked like a team that is poised to play their way through this and put a run together. The losses have been frequently ugly lately and the wins have been by the skin of their teeth or requiring a spirited comeback or both.
Maybe the four-day gap after Saturday will allow them to reset, but maybe it will be too late.
Up Next
Off to Raleigh, where the Islander-killing, conference-leading Hurricanes are fighting for the top seed and the privilege of meeting one of these sad-sack also-rans in the first round.
