Islanders Face Make or Break Weekend

After the Islanders' heartbreaking 3-2 loss in Ottawa last night, the team found themselves outside of a playoff spot for the first time since December 4th.

In a crucial four-point game in Ottawa, the Islanders arrived with a terrific opening two periods of play. Matthew Schaefer scored his 21st goal of the season, becoming the youngest defenseman in NHL history to record 50 points in a season. However, their fortune would soon turn, in the third period; the Islanders garnered just one single shot on goal. It came off Brayden Schenn’s stick and gave the Islanders a 3-2 lead two minutes into the 3rd. It was consecutive games with a goal for the newly acquired Schenn. All seemed well. 

The Ottawa Senators would respond with two goals of their own, including Brady Tkachuk’s eventual game winner with 11.1 seconds remaining on the clock. The Islanders didn’t challenge Ottawa’s James Reimer after the Schenn strike. Reimer only had to make 17 saves on the night. 

The Islanders gave up two crucial points in a gauntlet of a playoff race; they now are on the outside looking in of the EasternConference playoff picture with13 gamesremainingon the season.

The Islanders will visit the Bell Centre in Montreal on Saturday night for afour-pointbattle in the Wild Card zone. Montreal has one more point than the Islanders.

The Columbus Blue Jackets who jumped the Islanders in the standings last night are 7-0-3 in their last 10 games and look unstoppable behind the efforts of new bench boss Rick Bowness. The Blue Jackets will visit the Islanders at UBS on Sunday night in the second half of a back-to-back for both respective teams.  The Blue Jackets will host the Seattle Kraken Saturday evening in Columbus.

The Islanders sit just a point back of Boston, Detroit, and Pittsburgh. They are tied with the Blue Jackets, but Columbus holds the tiebreaker as of now.

With just about a dozen games left, and 10 teams spread out by just a few points in the standings, every shift matters and as Isles head coach Patrick Roy has said, “these are playoff games.”  

The Islanders should have a sour taste in their mouth after losing their playoff status but have no time to dwell on it as there are four plentiful points available for the taking this weekend and if the Islanders want postseason hockey back on Long Island, they need to take care of this weekend.