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Islanders try to keep playoff hopes alive vs. Devils (Apr 08, 2017)
The New York Islanders enter the final weekend of the regular season somehow still alive in the Eastern Conference playoff race, and they face another must-win situation Saturday night against the New Jersey Devils at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.
The Islanders (39-29-12) are three points behind the Toronto Maple Leafs for eighth place and the East's second wild-card spot with just two games remaining on each team's schedule.
The math is somewhat simple for the Islanders. They must beat the last-place Devils (28-38-14) Saturday and then dial up another victory Sunday at home against the Ottawa Senators, while the Maple Leafs cannot earn more than one point in their final two games this weekend.
If Toronto does earn one point, then the Islanders need to win both of their games this weekend either in regulation or overtime, not in the shootout, so that they would win the ROW (regulation/overtime wins) tiebreaker with the Maple Leafs.
In addition, the Tampa Bay Lightning are in ninth place with 92 points, one behind Toronto and two up on the Islanders, after Friday's 4-2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens. If the Lightning win their final game in regulation or overtime this weekend, the Islanders again would have to win their two remaining games in regulation or overtime to better Tampa in the ROW tiebreaker.
This must-win scenario is nothing new for the Islanders, who surprisingly arrive at the season's final weekend with a chance to reach the postseason because they won their previous four games, the last three with star center and team captain John Tavares sidelined with a lower body injury.
"We're in a situation where we had to win out with six (games) left, and we're four wins into it," said Anders Lee, who leads the Islanders with a career-high 31 goals. "We're not going to go down easy."
The four-game win streak follows a three-game losing skid that seemed to be the death knell to the Islanders playoff hopes this season.
With the resurgent Jaroslav Halak, recalled from the minor leagues in late March, allowing only four goals in four games after replacing Thomas Greiss as the club's starting goaltender, the Islanders are indeed alive.
"The biggest factor honestly has been Jaro," New York's Andrew Ladd said to Newsday. "Jaro has been a rock back there for us."
Halak backstopped a 3-0 shutout victory over the Carolina Hurricanes Thursday night, his most recent clutch performance.
"I just want to go game to game," Halak told Newsday. "I'm not thinking about pressure or no pressure."
Looking to derail the Islanders' playoff hopes are the Devils, a team with just three victories in its last 22 games dating to Feb. 19. The Devils have lost two of three so far this season to the Islanders.
"I think that's always your goal as a competitor, you want to finish on a high note," said Devils goalie Cory Schneider after surrendering a season-high seven goals in Thursday's 7-4 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. "It's been a rough year all around for everyone in here, myself included. It won't make the year better, but you always want to end on a good note."
Backup goaltender Keith Kinkaid likely will be in net for New Jersey in its home finale Saturday since the goalies alternated the previous nine games. Kinkaid shut out the Philadelphia Flyers 1-0 in overtime in his most recent start Tuesday.
Prior to Saturday's game, Patrik Elias, the Devils all-time leader in goals, assists and points who officially announced his retirement last week, will don the skates and take a final lap around the Prudential Center ice to say goodbye to the fans in New Jersey.
The two-time Stanley Cup champion, who did not play in a single game this season due to injury, did take part in the Devils' last practice of the season on Friday.
While he was offered the chance to suit up and play one last game for the Devils, Elias declined.
"It isn't fair to the guys that have been working here the whole year, training, and it wouldn't be fair to the Islanders," Elias said to nj.com. "It would kind of take away from the game. Obviously, the Islanders are still battling for that last (playoff) spot. I didn't want to put myself in a position...where somehow the game would be influenced by that."
