New York Islanders salvage a point, keep playoff hopes alive

The New York Islanders salvaged a point on Monday night after losing 4-3 in the shootout to the Columbus Blue Jackets. The game was especially frustrating as the Isles headed into the third period with a 3-2 lead thanks to Anders Lee’s 26th goal of the season.

However, the Blue Jackets came back to tie the game and eventually forced overtime. Overtime settled nothing, leading the two clubs to head into the shootout. In the shootout, Adam Fantilli scored the only goal to lift the Blue Jackets past the Isles.

Despite the loss, there’s a silver lining. The Isles salvaged a loser point, bringing them one point behind the Montreal Canadiens for the final wild card spot. The Canadiens currently have 75 points while the Islanders have 74.

The Isles also moved into sole possession of the fourth spot in the Metro Division despite being tied with the New York Rangers. The Rangers have more regulation losses than the Isles, officially putting them in the fifth spot.

It’s worth pointing out that the win brought the Blue Jackets within striking distance of the final playoff spot in the East with 73 points.

The New York Islanders are off on Tuesday with the Canadiens taking on the St. Louis Blues and the Rangers facing the Los Angeles Kings. As such, if the Isles can get a little help from not-so-friendly teams, they can cement their chances of securing the final postseason ticket.

New York Islanders loss to Blue Jackets raises some concerns

So, let's get into the negatives from Monday night’s loss. Yes, the disallowed goal stung.  Anyway you look at it, the goal should have counted. But had the Isles secured the win, the disallowed goal would have been inconsequential. Specifically, there are two points I'd like to make here.

Firstly, the elephant in the room is the blown lead. While the Isles didn’t blow a four-goal lead late in the third period, they were unable to hold the 3-2 lead heading into the third. While I wouldn’t normally lose it over a situation like this, the goal was concerning.

Here’s a look at the Blue Jackets’ equalizer:

The play wasn’t especially dangerous. However, the traffic in front made it possible for Kirill Marchenko’s shot to get past Ilya Sorokin. In particular, Simon Holmstrom did not pick up Columbus forward Dmitri Voronkov, who screened Sorokin.

Moreover, Ryan Pulock stood at the side of the net and was basically caught puck-watching as well. Their inability to clear the front of the net allowed the Blue Jackets to catch a break and tie the game.

To the Isles’ credit, they tightened up their game thereafter and did not give up any significant chances moving forward.

The other issue that raised some eyebrows occurred during the shootout. Anthony Duclair led off the shootout round for the Isles. However, as Duclair approached the Blue Jackets’ net, the puck skipped on the heel of his stick and slid aimlessly.

The crowd went silent with the Isles’ broadcast team seemingly in disbelief of the play. Of course, we all make mistakes. It’s something that can happen to the best of us. Nevertheless, it was a concerning situation that could have potentially cost the Islanders the two points.

Overall, the Islanders averted a disaster by rescuing a point. But the Isles will need to continue playing their best hockey of the season against the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday night as time is running out and the playoffs are within reach.