Well this was a much-needed result! The Rangers have been surging lately, while the Islanders have been... playing pretty poorly. However, entering this game, the Isles’ magic number for the playoffs was 8, and they had the chance to cut it down to 4 and give themselves an opportunity to clinch at the Coliseum in their next games against the Rangers.
With the pressure on, the Islanders played up to the level we know they’re capable of, putting four past Igor Shesterkin while Semyon Varlamov’s dominance against the Rangers continued, recording his third shutout this season against the Rangers, and his NHL-leading sixth shutout overall.