Things are looking good for the New York Islanders. Brock Nelson avoided a more serious injury and appears ready to play tonight when the Islanders visit the Columbus Blue Jackets. The team is winning and is firmly in the first wild card. And they control their own destiny.
One big reason they control their own destiny has to do with the teams around them, and more specifically, the teams playing those teams. Both the Florida Panthers and Pittsburgh Penguins lost in regulation last night—to the Toronto Maple Leafs and Dallas Stars, respectively—and now the two wild-card challengers are even in games played with the Islanders for the first time maybe since the season started.