The beginning of the rest, or the sad end, to the Islanders season occurs tonight in Raleigh. Every non-Cup year includes a game where you are just trying to postpone the inevitable but ultimately fail.
By all odds the Islanders will have one of those games sometime soon, we all just hope it’s not tonight.
They could extend the series in a variety of ways: A showstopping performance from Ilya Sorokin, a competent night from the power play, or a disciplined, tight game that breaks their way. One of those ingredients keyed their only win in the series, plus the game that went to overtime.