The Islanders in their collective wisdom have decided that they really need a win streak to get back into wild card contention, and that is correct. They are off to a 2-0 start on this road trip thanks to an OT recovery after a blown lead in Boston, then a goalie-backed, out-of-nowhere 4-0 win in Vegas where four goals on 21 shots did the trick.
Those wins pulled the back to 16-18-7, which is not impressive at all, but the East is weird this year so that put them five points (and six teams!) behind the East’s second wild card spot. But Columbus was holding that spot so I mean…it’s there for the taking, right?
Now they’re on to Utah, for their first visit to a built-for-basketball arena that hopefully at least has a centered scoreboard. The Artists Formerly Known as Coyotes are having a very Coyote-like season, with little stints of “ohh, maybe they’re finally turning the corner” mixed in with an otherwise pedestrian, outside-the-wild card trajectory. They are 17-16-7 and five points back of the West’s second wild card spot.
While the Isles had a day between games, Utah played last night at home against the Sharks.
For a certain idiot like me, it’s hard to hear a reference to Utah without thinking of the fine film that arguably shined the most extensive, flattering light on the state “wedged between Wyoming and Nevada,” and that film is of course Fletch.
Last night’s scores included a handful of games, including the Canadiens and Red Wings winning again. (That won’t last.)