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Riding a three-game win streak, it seems like for the first time in a while, the New York Islanders have some momentum.
With the 7-3 win against the Columbus Blue Jackets last week, the game was something to build off, with the Islanders finally putting together a strong finish to a game. But despite a decent first period against the Los Angeles Kings, the Islanders ended up down two goals in the second frame, and things looked bleak following what was a pretty tough middle period.
However, the Islanders managed to rally, with the third period once again being their best. With a really strong second half of the frame, two goals from Anders Lee sent the game to overtime, where Jean-Gabriel Pageau managed to win it for the Islanders, ending the Kings’ record-setting road win streak.
Then on Monday, the Islanders picked up where they left off, pulling ahead 3-1 against the Leafs just about as soon as the second period started. However, once again, protecting a lead proved to be an issue. New York gave up a goal to John Tavares midway though the frame, before falling under siege at the end of the third period, and Morgan Rielly tied the game with seconds to go (on what also happened to be Tavares’ 1000th NHL point).
However, once again, New York was able to pull out a victory in overtime, when Bo Horvat beat Ilya Samsonov off a nice pass from Mathew Barzal, giving the Islanders their third straight win.
Now, the actual performances over the win streak haven’t been flawless. Against Columbus, the Islanders found themselves trailing, only to blow the game open with six goals in the final 25 minutes or so. Then in the win over Los Angeles, the Islanders slumped through the second period and found themselves down by a pair of goals after a disappointing frame, before battling back in the third.
But despite falling behind in both games, the Islanders continued to press forward with some urgency to recover, notably handing the Kings a loss in a situation where no other team had been able to.
Then despite the blown lead against Toronto, the Islanders still managed to respond. In such a high-intensity end to the game, where not only did the Leafs tie it, but they did so on Tavares’ 1000th point, where the entire Leafs’ bench came out to celebrate, it could’ve been easy for that to sink any of New York’s momentum heading into overtime. But while a game going past regulation almost surely meant a loss for the Islanders at the start of the season, New York is actually starting to change that narrative, recovering to get a second straight overtime win.
It’s not just team momentum, either: the Islanders finally, finally have a top line that’s clicking. Mathew Barzal and Bo Horvat have been excellent over the last seven games or so, while Anders Lee has actually managed to turn things around a bit after a horrible start. At least right now, the Islanders have a line that’s been able to provide consistent offense, which has rarely been the case.
So despite significant injuries to the blue line and a first-third of the season that has often seemed to contain a lot more negatives than positives, the Islanders remain one of the better teams in the Metropolitan Division. With the three straight wins, they hold the third-highest points percentage in the division, with a really respectable 13-7-7 record, and are now 8-1-2 over their last 11 games.
The Islanders will face the Anaheim Ducks tonight, and it’s yet another chance to keep climbing the standings. Anaheim has won only one of their last 12 games dating back to mid-November, and it’s an excellent opportunity to not only string together their fourth straight win, but actually put together a complete effort.
So while there are still imperfections with the team – and no lead is ever safe – this recent stretch has been one of the team’s most positive of the season.
OTHER ARTICLES FROM DECEMBER
- Islanders sneak past Hurricanes, but win doesn’t inspire much confidence
- Concerns with Islanders continue to mount despite better results
- Islanders earn big win over Blue Jackets, Bortuzzo acquired from Blues 
New York Islanders Blogger • 
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