Isles Looking To Build Momentum Off Comeback Win

Only time will tell if the New York Islanders' 7-6 comeback win on Friday will be remembered as a galvanizing moment in the 2017-18 season, but it certainly felt that way Saturday to the guys in the locker room.
"We showed a lot of heart, energy, enthusiasm and it's a feeling that we saw on the guys' faces at the end of the game," Head Coach Doug Weight said after the win. "In the room after was pretty incredible. Hopefully this is a date that you circle."

Every standings point is crucial for the Islanders, who are currently holding the second wild card in the Eastern Conference with 60 points - one ahead of Carolina and two points up on Columbus, who've both played fewer games.
Weight set a goal of nine-to-10 points in the Islanders' current stretch of six games in nine nights and they're 1-1-0 to start. They'll have to get on a roll to hit that target; the last time the Islanders earned consecutive victories came during a three-win stretch from Jan. 7-15. The Islanders are 4-4-2 in their last 10 games.

"It's a long season and you're going to have your ups and downs and we were going through a rough stretch for a little bit there," said Mat Barzal, who became the third rookie in 100 years to post three five-point games with five assists in the win. "Hopefully it pushes us in the right direction and I think this team needed something like that, we needed a big comeback or a big game like that, a big win…. Hopefully this can get us going for the last 25 games."
The Islanders are hoping the gutsy comeback gets their wheels out of the mud and into the fast lane.
"When you're going through some tough times, you're looking for something like that," Barzal said. "That's a huge comeback and a huge two points going from zero points in two games against Buffalo and Detroit to squeaking out a win and going into a big game tomorrow. Those two points were huge last night."
The Islanders play their next three games at home, beginning on Sunday night vs Calgary, followed by a pair of games against Columbus and the Rangers, two teams they're competing with for playoff spots.
"We'd like to use this as momentum, especially with a few games at home," Brock Nelson said. "You don't want to have a little bit of a letdown. You kind of have to move past last night, understand the importance of getting two points and hopefully use it as a boost."