There was no Ryan Pulock, there was no Anthony Duclair.
There was the stench of Saturday’s ragged performance in Montreal, a brutal goaltender interference call going against them and a distinct make-or-break feeling to this one, the Islanders needing a win as bad as any team can need a regular-season game.
This was the moment to step up, to put the season back on track after it had slid off course.
The Islanders did just that.
They are back in a playoff spot, at least for the time being, and they can breathe a little easier after a suffocating few days.
The Islanders hung on by the skin of their teeth to beat the Blue Jackets 1-0 on Sunday at UBS Arena, winning the most important game of their season to date and renewing belief after a very shaky few days.
The bad news is twofold.
First, the Isles still don’t control their own destiny.
They are in a wild-card spot, one point ahead of Detroit with one more game played, and behind the Blue Jackets for third in the Metropolitan Division, tied on points but with one more game played than Columbus as well.
Second, the Pulock injury in particular is something that will quickly become problematic if he is not back quickly.
He and Duclair were both described as day to day, but you can rest assured that at this time of year, both would be in the lineup if they could play.
Pulock is in the middle of an excellent season, he’s quietly been one of their most important players all year.
The Islanders need him for the next 11 games.
That said, give the Islanders all the credit there is for the way they bounced back after Saturday.
There was no better way to turn the page than Bo Horvat scoring from Anders Lee’s feed off the rush just 85 seconds into this one, and despite it being the second end of a back-to-back, the Islanders showed no sign of flagging.
That goal was the difference heading into the third period, as the match had become a low-event grind.
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