Islanders News: Wait ‘til next year

I almost wasn’t going to write a post today—I mean, who wants to read about that loss?—but we must soldier on.

So, the New York Islanders got their behinds handed to them just one night after a thrilling victory. Out of this week’s three games, where they needed a minimum of four points and at least five if not all six, they got two. Meanwhile, the Washington Capitals won both of their tight games in regulation. We had a fun half of a week, didn’t we, folks?

The Capitals’ magic number is down to just ten (10), meaning the Islanders’ tragic number has shrunken to single digits (nine) (9) with a whole three weeks left in the season. Assuming the Islanders do not lose another game this month—an impossibility given their meat grinder of a schedule, but roll with it—all Washington needs to do is take ten points from their remaining eleven games. So even if the Islanders run the table, it’s still unlikely that they make it. And as a reminder, every point the Islanders lose over their last eleven games is one fewer that the Capitals need to earn on their own in order to clinch.

Well, at least Nick Leddy, now with the St. Louis Blues, will get to enjoy the playoffs. He must really enjoy having Dom as a fan that he keeps ending up on his teams.

Islanders News

About last night:

• Leddy, looking positively beardly, kicked off the rout against his old mates. [LHH]
• Not the way you want to end a road trip, generally. [Newsday]
• It was the Justin Faulk show, as he had two goals and added an assist. [NHL | Gamecenter]
• All seven goals in this game happened in the first two periods. [Rapid Recap]
• But at least Grant Hutton scored his first NHL goal. [3 Takeaways]

Other news:

• Casey Cizikas did not participate in last night’s game because he was suspended a game for boarding Brendan Smith Friday night. It was his first supplemental discipline. Andy Andreoff was recalled from Bridgeport and played in his stead. [NHL | Newsday]
• Zach Parise said that he struggled so much at the beginning of the season because he was trying too hard to prove that he shouldn’t have been bought out. Now that he has relaxed, he has raised his game. [Newsday]
• This Day in Isles History: Ken Morrow clinched the 1984 series over the Rangers, and in 2019, Josh Bailey scored the overtime winner to take Game 1 of an eventual sweep of the Penguins.

Elsewhere

Yesterday and last night’s NHL scores include the Rangers and Maple Leafs winning their games to clinch their own playoff berths. So to recap: Caps win, Isles get blown out, and two of their biggest rivals dominate their games en route to a playoff berth. April 9, 2022, a date which will live in infamy.

• Might as well start looking ahead, right? That’s what this article does, but for three teams that have been in this position for a while now: the Blackhawks, Red Wings, and Coyotes. [THN]
• Scott Mayfield must be happy today: The Denver Pioneers are NCAA national champions for a record-tying ninth time after scoring five third-period goals over Minnesota State. [ESPN]