With a sixth straight win last night, the New York Islanders are closing in on a playoff berth.
They were able to take down Montreal 3-2 in overtime last night, in a game where despite getting the better of the Canadiens for a lot of the contest, they never held a lead through regulation. Trailing at two different points, New York battled back to force the extra frame, where Kyle Palmieri beat Samuel Montembeault with a great shot, leaving New York with an extra point.
The Islanders outshot Montreal by a whopping 31-14 margin, but Semyon Varlamov (who was back in for a third straight start) had to be very good as well. It seemed like a good portion of the shots New York gave up were high-danger opportunities, and Varlamov was sharp at several different points.
With the win, the Islanders have a tight grip on one of the remaining playoff spots, with the standings below:
- 89 points, 3 games remaining: New York Islanders
- 86 points, 3 games remaining: Pittsburgh Penguins
- 85 points, 3 games remaining: Detroit Red Wings
- 85 points, 3 games remaining: Washington Capitals
- 85 points, 2 games remaining: Philadelphia Flyers
At this point, even a 1-1-1 record over their last three games would clinch a playoff spot. With an Islanders’ win and some helpful losses for other teams as well, there are scenarios where New York could clinch tomorrow.
However, putting a bit of a negative spin from last night’s game was Noah Dobson leaving the game with an injury. The play where Dobson was hurt looked innocent enough, but he didn’t return, and we don’t have any notable update on him either.
Dobson has obviously been one of the team’s most important players, if not the team’s single most valuable player this year. While there’s a little bit of runway until the playoffs, losing him would be a massive issue for the Islanders. Knowing the team’s secrecy around injuries at times as well, hopefully, there’s a clear timeline provided.
The Islanders are back in action tomorrow, when they face the New York Rangers once again. With some clear animosity from the Pelech/Zibanejad collision and the Dobson hit, we can expect a chippy game right from the start.
Puck drop is 12:30 p.m.
OTHER ARTICLES FROM APRIL
- Islanders must bounce back for biggest game of season vs. Flyers
- Islanders stay alive after sweeping back-to-back set
- Islanders' playoff chances continue to improve with win over Blue Jackets
- Islanders shut out Predators, control their own playoff destiny
- Islanders hold on to beat Rangers for fifth straight win
New York Islanders Blogger • 
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