The New York Islanders are back in action tonight against the Dallas Stars, and not a moment too soon: They woke up this morning in the second wild card spot. Yes, they have three games in hand on both the Flyers and Blue Jackets — each of which passed them in points over the last two days — but it’s a jarring picture after spending much of the first half in a home-ice seeding.
They now average a game every other night for the rest of the regular season, so those games in hand will come with their own pressure and stress.