A demoralizing 6-3 defeat against the Philadelphia Flyers crushes the New York Islanders playoff hopes. Now facing elimination, regrouping is necessary.
- New York Islanders 3 (35-29-12, 82 pts)
- Philadelphia Flyers 6 (37-21-8, 82 pts)
- NHL, Final, Box Score
- Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA
Everything needed to know about last night’s embarrassment in the most crucial game of the season can be found here.
Travis Hamonic was spotted wearing a cast on his left arm after leaving the first period early last night. Islanders fans are likely collectively thinking the same thing: “If they recall Ryan Pulock now, I’ll explode.” I hear you, New York Islanders faithful. I’ll explode too.
The Rundown:
What’s been a tumultuous roller-coaster of a season for the Islanders will seemingly end in abject disappointment. After propelling themselves into playoff contention, and even holding the final wild-card spot for a few games, the Islanders have fallen right back onto their faces. The last five home games spell a 0-4-1 record and is what likely was the beginning of their season-ending spiral.
NYI vs. NJD:
- New York Islanders (35-29-12, 82 pts)
- New Jersey Devils (27-35-14, 68 pts)
- NHL, Friday, Mar. 31, 7 p.m. ET, MSG+
- Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY
The Islanders will turn their attention towards New Jersey as they head home to play the Devils this evening at 7:30 p.m. ET. The Islanders last played the Devils in a 6-4 win on Feb. 19. The season series is tied 1-1.
The Islanders are still mathematically in the playoff chase, however, three teams have leapfrogged them since their decline (Boston, Carolina, Tampa Bay). With the deadline for a change inching closer, the Islanders need to likely string together six straight wins in their remaining games to have a chance at qualifying. Even then, it will still take help for them to get in.
New Jersey Devils:
The wheels fell off the wagon in the Devils’ season (much like the Isles) and sit 28th overall in the NHL. Despite not yet being mathematically eliminated, it would take an even bigger miracle for the Devils to enter the post-season than it would the Isles. They have lost the past two games straight in overtime.
Daily Features:
John Santamaria had an opportunity to sit down with the Islanders new play-by-play announcer Brendan Burke about what his first season in New York has been like.