The Philadelphia Flyers are pouring it on, so the New York Islanders had no choice but to do the same. The Islanders, seemingly fading down the stretch run to the 2016 NHL playoffs, managed a big win over the lowly Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday night, escaping with a 4-3 victory over Sergei Bobrovsky and the Jackets.
The only problem - the Islanders lost first-pairing defenseman Travis Hamonic in the process. After the game, Islanders head coach Jack Capuano told reporters that he didn't have an update, but didn't exactly sound a positive tone while discussing Hamonic.
"I don't know anything, but just the fact that he didn't return says something," Capuano said.
As it turns out, the Islanders won't again see Hamonic during the regular season. Hamonic joins Isles goalie Jaroslav Halak as crucial players for New York who will miss the remainder of the regular season and, definitely in Halak's case, maybe in Hamonic's, some or all of the postseason.
Hamonic, who made a much-discussed trade request to the Islanders and GM Garth Snow ahead of the 2015-16 NHL season after family issues arose back in Western Canada, has been one of the most consistent players on an inconsistent New York team this season. Losing him for any period of time could be difficult to overcome for Capuano and Co.
The Islanders were expected to take another step forward this year - instead, they're in a fight just to keep hold of a playoff spot. And while the victory on Thursday allowed them to lengthen their lead over the Flyers for the first Eastern Conference wild card spot to four points and moved their record at Barclays Center to an impressive 24-9-4, it wasn't where most NHL pundits, or where the Islanders, probably expected the team to be.
"These were two points that we came in needing to get," Islanders forward Anders Lee said. "To pull it out in the third is really important. All of these other teams around us in the standings seem to be winning, too. We have to take care of ourselves."
Lee scored the game-winning goal off a Johnny Boychuk slapper that missed the net, camored off the end boards back in front of the net, and off Lee's skate and past Bobrovsky. It was Lee's 14th marker on the season, giving him 35 points through 76 games.
The Islanders are now within two points of the New York Rangers for the third spot in the Metro Division. It's hard to believe, but at this late date, there's still much to be determined at nearly every position of the East, beyond the Washington Capitals' standing as the best regular season team in the conference.
And while the Isles woke up on Friday with a much better chance at securing a postseason berth, the potential loss of Hamonic could prove disastrous to New York's chances of making it out of the first round of the playoffs, especially as the Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins continue to surge.
