Last night’s game was as nerve-racking as they come, but the Islanders held on to a 2-1 lead to pick up another two huge points. Special teams came through yet again; the penalty kill was perfect, while the power play was responsible for the Isles’ two goals, going two-for-four in last night’s contest.
The game was not all positives, mainly due to Jaroslav Halak‘s ambiguous injury with five minutes left in the game. The goaltender went down in noticeable pain after making a save, and gingerly skated off the ice without returning. Thomas Greiss was called upon and triumphed through a flurry of Pittsburgh pressure, but Halak’s injury is still quite concerning at such a crucial time for his team. His status is still unknown, but there is reason to believe that the 30-year-old could miss a bit of time following last night’s rather unfortunate events.
Regardless of Halak’s status, the Islanders need to keep pushing on. They have not been perfect as of late, but have impressively managed to grind out seven wins in their last eight games. The intensity shown last night had playoff hockey written all over it, and that same intensity has started to become more prevalent in New York’s game. They are evidently making a push for home ice advantage in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, and with the way they are stringing wins together, the Islanders certainly playing like they deserve it.
Islanders Links
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