Kyle Palmieri scored two goals that made the difference, and Ilya Sorokin returned to doing Sorokin things as the Islanders banked two crucial points with a 5-1 regulation win over the division title-contending New Jersey Devils on Long Island.
The two points restored the Islanders’ three-point lead for the first wild card spot, and Florida’s regulation loss in Ottawa meant their overall wild card cushion grew to six points.
Almost as important, the Islanders’ performance was a reassuring rebound after dropping three of four winnable points in back-to-back games over the weekend.
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With two empty net goals following Palmieri’s insurance goal late in the third, the final score masks how close this one was.