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With a win against the Washington Capitals on Tuesday night, the New York Islanders could make up ground in the MassMutual East Division standings and become tied with the Caps in first place. Both teams knew what was at stake, and the game they played did not disappoint.
In the first period, the Isles played great hockey. New York did absolutely everything except score. They outshot Washington 12-7, but as they did all night, both goaltenders stood on their heads.
The Islanders weren’t terrible in the second period but were outshot 12-7 by Washington. Both defenses were good, but New York was backstopped by Semyon Varlamov and Washington by Vitek Vanecek. Both goaltenders stood on their heads the entire game.
Barry Trotz’s Isles posted twenty shots in the third frame and finally solved Vanecek. 13:05 in, Brock Nelson cleaned up a rebound and snuck it home. Josh Bailey (18) and Ryan Pulock (13) were credited with assists. New York shut Washington down from there, limiting them to just ten third-period shots. They finished the job, winning the game 1-0.
A great team effort always gives you a good chance of winning. For the Isles, they need to keep this play going and try to lock down a playoff spot as soon as they can. Their rivals, the New York Rangers, beat the Pittsburgh Penguins in regulation, something that helps both the Isles and Caps immensely. The boys in blue and orange play again at the Coliseum on Thursday night against the Philadelphia Flyers. Puck drop is set for 7:00 PM Eastern Time.
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