Blackhawks Daily: Islanders Crawl Back Into Playoff Position

The Chicago Blackhawks played the New York Islanders earlier in the week but could not come up with a win. That result is now part of a three-game streak for the Islanders as they beat the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday night.

The Islanders had to work for it against the lowly Blue Jackets. It was a 2-2 tie after the second intermission but New York was able to score two in the third frame to notch the victory.

The Pittsburgh Penguins offered a little help as they defeated the Washington Capitals in regulation. Now, the Islanders jumped into that final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference.

The Pittsburgh Penguins also helped themselves a little bit with another win. A lot of people thought they were long out of it two weeks ago but they have been on fire ever since. The Eastern Conference playoff race is as tight as we’ve seen it in a long time. It felt as if nobody wanted it and that has made the race between five teams extra intense. Right now, it is the Islanders feeling good about themselves.

Blackhawks In Case You Missed It

• The Blackhawks may have different plans depending on the results of the 2024 NHL Draft Lottery. So if they indeed get to pick Mack Celebrini, should that change the speed of the rebuild?
• Cole Guttman has been surging along with the Rockford IceHogs–which reveals that hard work does indeed pay off.
• You can make a case that Petr Mrazek has been the MVP of the Blackhawks during the 2023-24 season.
• Nick Lardis has signed an entry-level contract with the Chicago Blackhawks. It is time for him to begin his pro career.

Hockey Now Playoff Focus

• Boston Hockey Now: The Boston Bruins showed how dangerous they could be in the playoffs with a dominant win over the Carolina Hurricanes.
• New Jersey Hockey Now: New Jersey Devils head coach Travis Green took a shot at New York Rangers head coach Peter Laviolette following the big line brawl.
• San Jose Hockey Now: The San Jose Sharks shockingly signed Colin Graf to an ELC. People were expecting a playoff-caliber team to go after a talent like that but San Jose continues to stack up great prospects.
• Florida Hockey Now: The Florida Panthers did a good job taking care of business against a lesser team in the Ottawa Senators. They need to stay on track as they get healthy heading into the playoffs.