New York Islanders miss golden opportunity to grab playoff spot with loss to Canucks

The New York Islanders missed a golden opportunity to grab sole possession of the Eastern Conference’s final wild card spot on Wednesday night. The Isles dropped a 5-2 decision to the Vancouver Canucks, leaving the Islanders one point away from climbing into the second wild card spot.

The Isles had their best chance of the season to get back into playoff territory as both the Montreal Canadiens, holders of said wild card spot and the New York Rangers were idle.

Had the Islanders won, they would have racked up 76 points to leapfrog the Canadiens (who have 75) and open up a two-point lead on the Rangers. Instead, the Islanders lost the game in regulation, leaving them empty-handed.

Now, the Isles hope to get some help from the Philadelphia Flyers, of all teams, as they take on the Canadiens at the Wells Fargo Center on Thursday night. If the Canadiens win, they’ll open up a three-point lead on the Islanders.

I’m not sure if the Islanders will have enough time to overcome such a gap. The Islanders and Canadiens don’t play again this season. However, some help may be on the horizon. The Canadiens face a tough schedule as they play the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday night, then have a home-and-home set with the Florida Panthers.

Assuming the Canadiens struggle in those three games, the Islanders could see a window of opportunity open up. However, the Isles will need to bring their A-game. The Islanders will play on Saturday night against the Tampa Bay Lightning, and then the Hurricanes on Sunday. That back-to-back set could determine if the New York Islanders have a realistic chance at making the playoffs this season.

New York Islanders goalie Ilya Sorokin pulled from game against Canucks

The most concerning situation from Wednesday night’s game against the Canucks, beyond the blown 2-1 lead, was the fact that Patrick Roy decided to pull Ilya Sorokin early in the third period.

With the Islanders down 3-2, the Canucks scored a goal early in the third period. Immediately, Roy yanked the chain and brought in Marcus Hogberg to replace Sorokin. The expression on Sorokin’s face when he sat on the bench said it all.

In my estimation, Sorokin wasn’t necessarily obfuscated for getting pulled from the game. He was upset that he didn’t stay out there for the remainder of the night as the Isles tried to rally.

Understandably, pro athletes are competitors. As such, they don’t like to get pulled from games. So, I get Sorokin’s reaction. But the fact is that Sorokin had allowed four straight goals. Something needed to be done to attempt to swing momentum back into the Islanders’ favor.

That momentum swing never happened. The Isles got two power play opportunities in the third period. They were unable to score, allowing the Canucks to get an empty-netter to seal the victory.

Now, the Islanders must play like their hair is on fire against the Hurricanes. The Canes are 8-2-0 in their last 10. So, the New York Islanders will have no other choice but to play desperate hockey as their playoff aspirations hang in the balance.