The NY Islanders keeping one eye on the scoreboard and the other on what's next

As the playoff race tightens, the New York Islanders are doing exactly what their fans are doing every night this time of year — keeping one eye on their own game and the other on the out-of-town scoreboard.

After the Isles 3-1 win over Toronto, Mathew Barzal, who had three assists, admitted that the Islanders are well aware of what’s happening around the league as teams battle for precious playoff positioning. “Just everyone’s winning games,” Barzal said. “I mean, including us. So that’s just the race it is this year and we just got to keep pace and hopefully push the pace.”

The reality of the standings race has become unavoidable. With several teams separated by only a few points, every night seems to bring another result that could shift the playoff picture.

And yes — the players are watching.

“We were looking at scores in the intermission,” Barzal said. “I think Columbus probably won. So every game is so big right now.”

For fans, scoreboard watching becomes second nature in March and April. But hearing players acknowledge it shows just how intense the race has become inside NHL locker rooms as well.

“Every game is so big right now,” Barzal said. “It’s fun. That’s the best part about this time of year. Every game just means a little more, and every play means a little more. It’s what you play for.”

Head coach Patrick Roy understands the situation just as clearly, even as he tries to keep his team focused on what it can control.

“I think they see us winning every night, too. That’s the way it is, isn’t it?” Roy said when asked about the Pittsburgh Penguins and Columbus Blue Jackets continuing to win games. “Everybody wants to be part of the playoffs and we know it’s going to be our fight until the end of the season.”

Still, Roy emphasized the Islanders’ approach.

“We’re going to focus one game at a time,” he said. “We’re not going to go more than that.”