Last night, the New York Islanders clinched a playoff birth. They devoured Buffalo 5-1, with a strong overall game by every line. The previous game, the Islanders came back from a 4-2 deficit with under 13 minutes left to win the game 5-4 against the Winnipeg Jets.
This team under Barry Trotz has a different style of play and an underdog mentality that can only be compared to the play of fourth line grinder Casey Cizikas. Every shift Casey is flying around the ice, fore-checking the opponent, and getting in the dirty areas. This has allowed him to score a career-high 20 goals this season.