The New York Islanders begin a very important home-and-home series hanging on to third place in the East by one point, while their current opponent is just five points behind.
If the Rangers somehow swept this two-game set in regulation, we’d not only lose our collective heads but we’d be looking at a one-point separation with a couple of weeks to go.
So, Islanders, don’t be that team. Channel the joy of the last meeting, a satisfying 6-1 drubbing of the Smurfs, and do that kind of thing again. We’ll all come off the ledge together.