Keep the brooms handy. The New York Islanders may need them when the final horn sounds in Toronto on Tuesday night.

The Islanders are on the verge of sweeping the highly touted Washinton Capitals out of Round One and delivering Washington a second straight early exit, but the Islanders know that it won’t come easily. In fact, the Islanders just have to look back at the Qualifying Round to realize what a tall task a sweep can be.

Subscribe here for daily coverage of the New York Islanders from Christian Arnold

Tuesday Night’s Game 4 meeting will be talented Washington’s last chance to keep their Stanley Cup hopes alive and the Islanders need to be prepared.

“There’s no tougher game than a game to clinch a series,” Islanders captain Anders Lee said. “It’s going to be no different in Game 4 here. It’s going to be a tough game. We played a good one tonight and were able to come out on top. but we still have a lot of work to do to make this thing right.”

The Islanders closed out the Pittsburgh Penguins in four games last season during the First Round of the Playoffs. Prior to that, however, the Islanders hadn’t led 3-0 in a series since the 1983 Stanley Cup Final.

And once they push their opponent to the brink, that last win is always a tough one.

Even in the Qualifying round, the Islanders had the chance to sweep the Florida Panthers. The Islanders got away from their game in Game 3 of the series and lost 3-2, forcing a fourth game.

“Ultimately for us to be up 3-0 now feels good,” overtime hero Mat Barzal said. “We know the next one is going to be a tough one, but for now we’ll enjoy today and get back to work tomorrow.”

The Islanders and Capitals will have a day in between Game 3 and Game 4 to regroup.

Rallying from a 3-0 series deficit is an uphill battle but not impossible. Two teams in NHL history have come back to win a series after dropping the first three games.

The New York Islanders did it in 1975 and the Los Angelas Kings accomplished the feat in 2014 on their way to a Stanley Cup. The Capitals came back from a 0-2 hole against Columbus in 2018 as well./

“We’re never going to stop believing and we’re going to play,” Alex Ovechkin said. “We’re going to try.”

The Islanders have suffocated the Capitals with their strong five on five play through the first three games of the First Round. It has become a staple of the team’s identity through the postseason this year, and a testament to just how well the Islanders can play when they stick to their game.

The wins have only helped to solidify that in coach Barry Trotz’s mind.

“Every time you win a game in the regular season or playoffs I think it helps with your buy-in,”  Trotz said. “Understanding how you play and how you’re successful, and where your strengths are. I think it is a good teacher. Sometimes the best teacher is your results.

“We’re getting some results right now that, so that’s the best teacher for me.”