COLUMBUS, Ohio – All players glance at the standings. So there’s no downplaying the importance of the Thursday night’s game at Nationwide Arena between the Islanders and Blue Jackets.
The Metropolitan Division-leading Islanders, who lost, 3-1, at Buffalo on Tuesday night, lead the third-place Blue Jackets, seeking to match a season-high five-game winning streak, by five points as the teams meet for the second time.
“To me, this is going to have a playoff feel,” Islanders coach Barry Trotz said. “These games have a four-point feel. They have playoff implications. It could be a team we meet in the playoffs.