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The New York Islanders are heading back to the NHL playoffs for the fourth time in five years, after defeating the Montreal Canadiens 4-2 at home last night.
The Islanders came out ready to go right away, controlling the first 10 minutes of the game. Then midway through the frame, Brock Nelson carried the puck in on a rush to roof a shot over Sam Montembeault, putting New York ahead. The momentum did swing in the back half of the frame though, with Montreal getting a few really good chances. Then after Noah Dobson lost the puck on an exit, Jake Evans found Rem Pitlick for a one-timer to beat Ilya Sorokin, tying the game. However, the Islanders responded right away, with Hudson Fasching getting to the net and tapping in a loose puck only about a minute later, putting the Islanders right back ahead through 20 minutes.
New York then dominated the second period, outshooting Montreal by a huge 18-6 margin and once again midway through the frame, Nelson scored for the Islanders, tipping in a shot to make it a 3-1 game. Just as the Islanders were in full control though, on a power play with under four minutes to go in the frame, Nick Suzuki won a puck race against Samuel Bolduc and one-handed a shot past Sorokin, cutting the lead to one before the end of the second period.
In the third period though, the Islanders completely shut down any offense from Montreal, limiting them to five shots. Then with about four minutes to go, the team made up for their stumble on the man advantage, finally registering a power play goal off a tip from Anders Lee.
The Islanders held on from there for a 4-2 win, clinching a spot in the playoffs.
It was a long road, with a lot of competition to get to this point. The Pittsburgh Penguins, Buffalo Sabres, Ottawa Senators, Detroit Red Wings and Washington Capitals were all viable contenders for the playoffs through much of the season. But the Islanders got the job done and after a disappointing miss last season, New York is heading back to the postseason.
It was also fitting to see Brock Nelson score twice in the win and help propel New York to the postseason. He’s been the team’s most valuable skater this season and finished off a career year with another strong performance.
The win also caps off what’s been a really impressive run since around the All-Star Break. After a six-game losing streak in January, the Islanders went 19-9-4 over their last 32 games of the year.
They also did it without Mathew Barzal for much of that stretch. Now, it looks like both he and Alexander Romanov could return for the postseason.
We still have to wait and see who the team will face in the playoffs, which is going to be decided by the Florida Panthers’ game against the Carolina Hurricanes tonight. If the Panthers win, they take top wildcard spot and the Islanders will face the Boston Bruins. If they lose, the Islanders take top spot and face the Hurricanes in the first round.
I think the matchup against the Hurricanes seems like the ideal option for the Islanders, based on some key injuries to Carolina’s forward group and their recent slide. When I asked readers a few weeks ago who they’d prefer New York faces between the Bruins or Hurricanes, 79 per cent responded with the Hurricanes. The Bruins have just been so dominant and are well-rounded enough that it’s tough to see a team taking them down in the opening round.
But we’ll see what the outcome is and as of tomorrow, we’ll have a better idea of what the first round will look like for the Islanders.
QuizMaker
OTHER ARTICLES FROM APRIL
Islanders lose both games of weekend back-to-back as playoff race tightens
Islanders keep playoff fate in their own hands with big win over Lightning
Islanders’ playoff fate comes down to final two games after win over Flyers
Islanders’ playoff hopes take a huge hit with loss to Capitals
Islanders luck out with Penguins’ loss, can clinch playoff spot tonight 
New York Islanders Blogger • 
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