It's Sunday morning. You're probably here to read about how the Bruins squandered a 6-on-4 power play against Montreal. Or perhaps you're visiting just to find video of Erik Gudbranson's suspendable hit on Martin Erat. It's also entirely possible that you Googled "Colorado Avalanche victory" and ended up here by accident.
NHL Scores: Islanders emerging as playoff contenders
Don’t look now, but the Isles are winning the race for a playoff spot in the East.
Bruce Bennett
All of that is perfectly fine, and we'll get to all of that soon. But don't forget about the New York Islanders, because no one racing for the playoffs in the East is. The Islanders have suddenly emerged from mediocrity to contend for a playoff spot in the East, and they deserve your attention.
At least until they lose to Pittsburgh in the first round. (I look forward to your emails, Isles fans.)
All The NHL Scores
Get caught up on Saturday's NHL scores with recaps from our network of SB Nation team blogs. Here's a quick glance at the full night of action:
Jets 4, Flyers 1
Blackhawks 1, Predators 0
Kings 4, Oilers 1
Canadiens 2, Bruins 1
Maple Leafs 2, Devils 1
Islanders 4, Lightning 2
Rangers 4, Hurricanes 1
Coyotes 4, Avalanche 0
Canucks 5, Flames 2
Five Answers
Prior to last night's games, we presented five burning questions regarding the night's action. Here are your cool, soothing answers.
1. Can Ben Bishop continue his Lightning magic?
Bishop wasn’t nearly as impressive as he was in his 45-save debut. He gave up three goals on 27 shots, but had very little assistance from his teammates on all of them. Raw Charge explains:
While it's nice to have a steady backstop, it's imperative the team doesn't hang him out to dry and expect him to save their asses for every mistake that's made. That's been the recent history in Tampa and I fear it will be the mentality going forward.
That irresponsible game play dominated the Lightning's first period. It was on display during Bishop's Lightning debut on Thursday too, but against a fading opponent in Carolina, who wasn't mustering the chances or driving the play at the same level as the (almost, maybe) playoff bound Isles.
2. Will the Flyers continue their push for the playoffs?
Not at all. Philadelphia’s 4-1 loss in Winnipeg on Saturday put a major dent in their playoff hopes. The Flyers now sit at 11th in the East, five points behind the Islanders from a playoff spot. Flyers fans probably don’t have much hope their team will go streaking again after the usual defensive woes reared their ugly head on Saturday.
3. Will the Edmonton Oilers continue their push for the playoffs?
No. To be fair, they got blown out by the surging defending champions, but the 4-1 loss hurts their playoff chances, as they currently trail the eighth-place Blues by three points.
4. Just how bad can the Southeast Division get?
Tampa Bay lost. Carolina lost. And Alex Ovechkin registered a hat trick against the Panthers. So.
Oh, and there’s this:
Alex Ovechkin has 23 goals and 19 have come against teams currently not in the top eight. #South #East #Southeast
— Dave Lozo (@DaveLozo) April 6, 2013
5. Can the New Jersey Devils pull out of the tailspin?
New Jersey chose a bad night to lose again. The Islanders and Jets both started to pull away from the Devils, who now sit in 10th and are falling fast without Ilya Kovalchuk.
What moment from last night's games will be making headlines in the coming days?
You can probably say goodbye to Erik Gudbranson for a couple of games after his boarding penalty on Martin Erat.
Stat of the Night
IMPORTANT BREAKING NEWS:
The Pirates *are* outscoring the Penguins 6-4 this month.
— Seth Rorabaugh (@emptynetters) April 6, 2013
Post to Post
- The Islanders might make the playoffs. Somehow the folks at Lighthouse Hockey are calm about this.
- Ray Emery looked good again for Chicago.
- The Bruins can't score.
- Wondering why Chris Stewart is playing so well this year? It's because he's stopped eating brown rice.
- Finally, Ovie being Ovie:
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