Islanders prove they are ready to thrive under playoff pressure

ELMONT, N.Y. -- The New York Islanders knew what was at stake.

Back home on Sunday after two disappointing losses in Canada, they knew the first of their 12 remaining regular-season games was crucial. Standing in front of them were the Columbus Blue Jackets, who were two points ahead of the Islanders for third place in the Metropolitan Division and 8-0-4 since Feb. 28. 

Anything less than a complete 60-minute performance, something that had been eluding New York of late, would seriously hinder its chances of gaining traction in an Eastern Conference playoff race that is providing about as much space to move as rush hour on the Cross Island Parkway that runs parallel to UBS Arena.

“We play 0-0 all night long,” New York coach Patrick Roy told his players. “The circumstances of the game didn’t matter. It was a 0-0 game from the start till the end, and that’s the approach that we wanted to have.”

The message was received. Ilya Sorokin did his part, making 26 saves for his NHL-leading seventh shutout of the season, and the Islanders (40-26-5) needed all of 1:25 to score what proved to be the only goal in a 1-0 victory that has them tied in points (85) with the Blue Jackets (37-22-11), who still hold a game in hand. 

Bo Horvat took a nifty feed off the end boards from Anders Lee in the defensive zone that created an odd-man rush the other way, and Horvat ripped a wrist shot from the right face-off circle past Columbus goalie Jet Greaves, who was also splendid and finished with 21 saves.

“Not only scoring the first one but keeping the lead for the whole game was a big thing for us,” Horvat said. “I think that should give us confidence going forward, knowing that we can hold leads and keep pressing.”

The Islanders did just that. Even without their top right-handed defenseman Ryan Pulock (lower body, day to day), they limited the Blue Jackets to just five shots on goal in the second period before Sorokin preserved the victory with 13 saves in the third.  

It was a particularly impressive performance for their No. 1 goalie, who was pulled 24 hours earlier after he allowed six goals on 32 shots in a 7-3 loss at the Montreal Canadiens. It was the first time Sorokin started on consecutive days this season.

“After yesterday’s game, it was important to continue to do what I do all season,” Sorokin said. “There was nothing bigger I could do. I just tried to play simply, and the guys played behind me very well. It was a big game tonight, and we played very decently.”

The Islanders, who moved into the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs in the East with the win, will need more nights like the one they enjoyed Sunday, which began a stretch of 10 of 12 at home to end the regular season. Even without much travel the rest of the way, they know it won’t be easy. Along with being tied in points with the Blue Jackets, they are one behind the Boston Bruins for the first wild card, one ahead of the Detroit Red Wings and four ahead of the Ottawa Senators, who defeated them in regulation Thursday thanks to a goal from Brady Tkachuk with 13 seconds remaining in the third. 

“Look, this is a tough part of the year,” Lee said. “Other teams are trying to do what we’re doing. Everyone’s playing with a level of desperation. In the Ottawa game we were a little short on the desperation, and then in Montreal we were a little short on the execution. But these things are going to happen regardless of your intention. It’s not always going to be a perfect 60 minutes, but you can definitely try to attain that and try to achieve that.

“Everyone was in tonight, everyone played the right way, and that’s why you saw a complete game.”   

The race to the postseason for the Islanders continues here on Tuesday against Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks, who are near the bottom of the standings but nonetheless have the ability to ruin your night. Another performance like the one the Islanders put forth Sunday, which saw them take zero trips to the penalty box, is vital to their playoff hopes.

“That was definitely the higher stress (games) so far of the season, and I thought we handled it really well,” Horvat said. “Not only goaltending but through our lineup, guys were making plays and still trying to press and play well in the third. 

“We’re going to need that going down the stretch. I mean, it’s going to be high stress the rest of the way, so for us to kind of come out on the good side of tonight I think should give us confidence moving forward.”