Ah, it feels like home: The Isles are as close to the wild card as they are to last in the conference.
Are the Islanders dead men walking yet? It feels that way after going six games without a win and four without a standings point.
Crazier things have happened in late surges to become wild card fodder, but trailing by five points and four teams with eight games to go requires bending reality at event horizon levels. But they’re also five points above the bottom of the conference, so…maybe there’s some draft lottery interest?
The remaining opponents include a couple of fellow downtrodders (Nashville, Philadelphia) and teams that are either playing for a spot (Minnesota, Rangers, Columbus) or for history (Washington), some theatre of macabre is still in store.
Islanders News
- This was alluded to when he was acquired, but Calum Ritchie’s support team includes Andrew Ladd and Brock Nelson’s old college teammate, Arthur Staple reports. [Athletic]
- Zach Parise talks about his career, his dad, his time with the Isles and Lou Lamoriello. [Talkin’ Isles]
- The Skinny from Tuesday’s loss: “The Isles allowed the first goal for an NHL-leading 47th time.” [Isles]
- Was the terrible goalie interference call that took away a regulation win vs. Columbus the season turning point for the Isles? (No.) [Newsday]
- Patrick Roy volunteered that Anthony Duclair has been “awful” lately, but I don’t think him finally calling out a player he’s known for a long time is all that dramatic. Still, the team cut that from video of his postgame. [Newsday | Athletic | Po$t+ | ESPN]
Elsewhere
Wednesday’s relevant scores: Wild Card Watch — Smurfs won; Tank Watch: Kraken won
- The Hurricanes clinched a spot by beating the Capitals, which allowed them to see it as “cool” that Ovechkin scored. [NHL] But the game was also filled with cheapshots and violence. [Post] And the Caps lost Logan Thompson to an “upper body” injury. [ESPN]
- The Chatfield takedown (during a fight, so…?) is not expected to yield supplemental discipline. [Sportsnet]
- The NHL confirmed a 12-year, $11 billion extension with Rogers in Canada. [NHL]
- How Brad Marchand is fitting in wit— oh, you know, I do not care, not at all. [Sportsnet]