NHL scores 2017: Islanders are finally thriving in season of drama

Drama won’t leave the New York Islanders alone this season, but for once it seems the players aren’t affected by it one bit.

In the weeks since firing head coach Jack Capuano, and days after news broke that cast their future in Brooklyn in doubt, the Islanders have dragged themselves out of the NHL muck into the thick of the Stanley Cup Playoffs race.

New York’s win over the Washington Capitals (the league’s best over the last month) on Tuesday leaves them three points back of the struggling Philadelphia Flyers for the final playoff berth. That’s a 6-0-1 run and 11 of 12 possible points claimed since Doug Weight took over for Capuano.

They’re getting healthy (Mikhail Grabovski is expected back at some point after rehabbing an injury), they’re locking up key pieces of their immediate future, and they’re finding their stride as a strong team again after the worst start imaginable. And distractions will continue to mount; their arena crisis is far from over.

But they’ve climbed this far. Belief is a strong shield.

Wild 5, Oilers 2

Kings 3, Coyotes 2

Stars 6, Maple Leafs 3

Jets 5, Blues 3

Devils 4, Red Wings 3

Panthers 6, Senators 5

Bruins 4, Lightning 3

Canadiens 5, Sabres 2

Hurricanes 5, Flyers 1

Blue Jackets 6, Rangers 4

Penguins 4, Predators 2

Islanders 3, Capitals 2

Ducks 5, Avalanche 1

Sharks, Blackhawks

1. Andrew Cogliano and Jakob Silfverberg are still a winning combo

Cogliano assisted on Silfverberg’s second goal of the game (and 15th of the season) in the third period to give Anaheim a commanding 3-1 lead over the Avalanche. The two players are the unheralded Ducks duo that make the difference between a loss or a win on so many nights. Now that Corey Perry is beginning to show signs of life while John Gibson continues to excel in net, the Ducks are primed for a strong second-half push in the Pacific.

2. Philadelphia and Toronto simply didn’t come to play

Maple Leafs players admitted as much after their 6-3 loss in Dallas, in which they fell behind 5-1 in the first 20 minutes. Perhaps because of their youth and reckless abandon, the Leafs are usually a robust road team. But they need something to kickstart them again: the Leafs are in the midst of a 2-3-1 slide they can’t afford in a tight Eastern Conference playoffs race.

Meanwhile, Philadelphia just walked out of the locker room into a crater. By the third period in Raleigh, N.C., the Flyers had fallen behind 5-1 while amassing just eight shots on goal. It was such a pitiful performance that coach Dave Hakstol put his fourth line out on the power play in the waning minutes.

Quite a humbling (and disconcerting) night for both clubs.

3. Max Pacioretty and Alex Radulov haven’t cooled down

In fact, none of the Habs’ stars have. Carey Price also pitched in with 37 saves in a win over the visiting Sabres. Pacioretty reached 24 goals with a hat trick, and Radulov assisted on two of those goals to hit 39 points in his return to the NHL. Price proved that the Canadiens could make the playoffs with just one star (him) carrying the team.

Now the Habs have three legitimately terrific players guiding them through opponents like a blowtorch through butter most nights.

The NHL really needs to come down hard on Brad Marchand for these kinds of plays before someone gets seriously injured.

A nice milestone for the Ducks star, who’s starting to warm up a bit after numerous slumps throughout the season.