Five unanswered goals fueled a crucial victory, propelling the Islanders into second place. Favorable outcomes elsewhere solidify their playoff push.
Saturday could not have gone better for the New York Islanders amid their playoff push.
After knocking off the Florida Panthers 5-2, scoring five unanswered goals in the second period, the Islanders moved into second place in the Metropolitan Division with 89 points.
However, waking up in second would depend on the out-of-town scoreboard.
And, for the first time in quite a while, the results went the Islanders' way:
The Pittsburgh Penguins (88 points) fell 6-3 to the Dallas Stars.
The Columbus Blue Jackets (87 points) lost 3-2 to the San Jose Sharks.
The Detroit Red Wings (86 points) fell 5-3 to the Philadelphia Flyers.
The Ottawa Senators (86 points) lost 4-2 to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The Islanders' next game is critical as they host the Penguins at UBS Arena on Monday night, the first of a back-to-back. They travel to Buffalo to face the Sabres on Tuesday.