Magic in the Air: Islanders Rise from the Dead, Win Again

The New York Islanders (31-28-8) continued with their magic show with a 4-2 on Tuesday night. For their trick tonight, they made the Pittsburgh Penguins (28-32-10) 2-0 lead disappear, along with any slim hopes for their season in Pittsburgh.

Once again, at the start of the third period, the Islanders found themselves down 2-0 and staring down what would be a truly demoralizing loss. Instead, as they’ve done all season, the Islanders ignored the odds. They dusted themselves off, got back up, and slapped the Penguins down with a second-consecutive four-goal third period to win.

It almost feels magical for the Islanders. By all conventional wisdom, this team should be out of it. The 0-6-0 record against the Rangers and Red Wings should be a death knell. Giving away points in blown leads to Montreal, Utah, and Florida in October should be the things weighing them down. Add in a possible season-ending injury to Matthew Barzal and a Brock Nelson trade, this shouldn’t be possible.

Instead, the Islanders continue to rise. They find a way to dig deep, no matter the circumstances. For that alone, this team should be admired. Back in January, I called this team a group of zombies. Unwilling to just go away and die. Tonight is another example of that.

The Comeback:

After Sidney Crosby scored to make it 2-0 with 14 seconds left in the first period, and then the Islanders were shut out for the first 40 minutes, it felt like the worst-case scenario.

Instead, just seconds into the third period, the Penguins’ defense took a shift off. Kyle Palmieri had a breakaway from his own zone. His shot initially hit the post, but it bounced off of Tristan Jarry and in for a pivotal goal.

That took 17 seconds off the clock, leaving the Islanders 19:43 to at least tie. They only needed the next 5:17. Once again, Pittsburgh’s leaky defense reared its ugly head. Bo Horvat surged into the zone and made a move. Jarry initially made the save, but nobody picked up Noah Dobson, who deposited the loose puck for the equalizer.

From there, it became a back-and-forth affair. Dobson and Horvat both struck iron. Ilya Sorokin, who made 20 saves in the victory, absolutely robbed a Pittsburgh two-on-one.

It all led to an eventual game-winner from the stick Pierre Engvall. Engvall, who has been an entirely different player these last few games, finally found a reward. Dobson chipped a puck ahead. Engvall used his speed, won the race, and beat Jarry on the blocker side.

You could feel the wind sucked right out of PPG Paints Arena. The Penguins, in their 70th game of the season, blew a 2-0 lead. The Islanders extinguished any hope of a miracle run for Crosby and company.

Simon Holmstrom, for the second straight game, iced the game with an empty-netter. The goal is his 16th of the year, a new career high. Of note, Palmieri registered three points in the third. Just a model of consistency, and picking up his offense even without Brock Nelson by his side.

What the Win Means:

Quite simply, the New York Islanders are alive. They finally passed the idle Boston Bruins and Columbus Blue Jackets. The Islanders leap-frogged the losing Detroit Red Wings. They sit just two points back of the New York Rangers with two games in hand. The Rangers also lost tonight to the Calgary Flames. From 13th place to 10th place in one night, the Islanders surge ahead.

The only true bad news came from Montreal, where the Ottawa Senators utterly collapsed, and the Canadiens won 6-3. That leaves the Islanders three points back of Montreal, with both teams having played 67 games.

Conveniently, the very next Islanders’ game is on Thursday night in UBS Arena against the Canadiens. That’ll be a fun game, start to finish. Patrick Roy vs Montreal is always a story, but add in an extremely tight playoff race. It’s going to be an electric atmosphere in Elmont.