NEW YORK _ The Predators were the opposition and an inspiration all rolled into one for the Islanders. The visitors from Nashville belong to the top echelon of teams in the National Hockey League and are standard bearers for playoff overachievers, a status to which the Islanders aspire.
If they can just get in the postseason, who knows? That is the way the Islanders are pushing themselves down the stretch as they scramble for every point. They earned one Monday night, but they were close to having secured two. They lost a lead in the final minute of regulation and lost the game in overtime, 5-4.
Roman Josi scored with 1:18 left in three-on-three play, after Jaroslav Halak had stopped two breakaways in the extra session.
Only 42.2 seconds separated the Islanders from a regulation win and a rare scoreless third period. But they have shown that if you keep allowing shots, you are asking for trouble. Ryan Johansen knocked home a rebound to force overtime _ one of 47 shots for Nashville. It was the 10th time in the past 19 games that the Islanders allowed 40 or more shots. They have allowed 225 shots on goal the last five games and at least 30 in 20 straight games.
Josh Bailey said it at the All-Star Game, and Doug Weight expressed the same feeling, with more gusto, in a talk with his team late last week: Just make the playoffs and anything is possible.
"Guys, realize, if you get in, you can win. That's the league," Weight said in recalling his talk. "I don't care if Tampa Bay has 180 points or Vegas hasn't lost. I don't care. Anyone can win the Stanley Cup. You've got to be there in April."
The rationale for the team's thinking was right in front of it, in the form of the Predators. Nashville was the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference last spring _ having finished with the same point total as the Islanders did in just missing the postseason in the East _ and the Predators reached Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final.
That might or might not be valid reasoning (the Predators might have more overall talent than some borderline playoff teams), but it is motivational. "It is discussed," Anders Lee said. "We know where we are."
For starters, the Islanders knew they were in for a physical struggle against a team coming off a contentious game against the Rangers on Saturday. Filip Forsberg was suspended for the hit to the head of Jimmy Vesey, and Alexei Emelin was criticized by the Rangers but unpunished by the league for a high hit on Marc Staal. During the first period Monday, Jason Chimera took exception to the way Emelin boarded him, and vehemently said so from the penalty box as he and Emelin served coincidental minor penalties.
The Islanders led, trailed and led again in the period. Casey Cizikas broke a 2-2 tie at 17:03, rushing out of the penalty box, taking the puck in full stride, beating star defenseman P.K. Subban and stuffing the puck past Pekka Rinne. John Tavares and Ryan Pulock scored earlier, respectively, before and after two goals by Kevin Fiala.
Nick Leddy, after having gone nearly 2 { months without a goal, scored for the second time in two games. He connected from the left point at 3:39 of the second period to give the Islanders a two-goal lead. The Predators kept pressing and withstood a coach's challenge (possible goalie interference) and made it 4-3 at 16:23 as Calle Jarnkrok knocked in a rebound. It all set up yet another tense finish.
Weight said earlier, "I just feel our team brings it against the better teams."
