Stan Fischler: Islanders Clinch A Playoff Birth Prior to the opening face-off last night I wrote two words on my pad -- courtesy of President Harry S. Truman: SHOW ME! And the New York Islanders did just that, 4-2, over the pesky, persistent Montreal Canadiens last night while a capacity crowd at UBS Arena did cartwheels of joy. They showed me perseverance, grim determination, guts and comeback-ability after one of the franchise's most devastating losses on Monday night in Washington. "We dug in deep," said defenseman Noah Dobson. "We deserve to be in the playoffs." That they do because the Nassaumen did what Pittsburgh could not do. The Penguins couldn't beat bottom-seeded Chicago when they had the chance on Tuesday night. But the Isles did the job on the lowly but competitive Habs. No, siree, Bob, it wasn't easy. But savvy coaching, clutch goaltending and big games from the big gunners made the difference from the get-go. It was a stark contrast from the desultory opening against the Caps who scored two quickies. "Coach (Lane Lambert) started the Energy Line," said rookie Hudson Fasching, "and that got us going." The home club needed a first goal to rouse the already eager throng and Brock Nelson delivered, setting the YES-YES-YES cheer in motion. But no game is perfectly played and the Habs soon tied the count late in the first. So, it was 1-1 with a middle period looming when the freshman delivered the fresh goods. Only 1:19 later Hudson Fasching pulled off the game's turning point with the go-ahead goal -- his tenth of the year -- and the Isles never were headed after that. "We needed a momentum changer," said Fasching who has fast become boss Lou Lamoriello's find of the year. But there still were two full periods to play and the one-goal lead needed a mattress. Nelson eased the crowd's nerves at 10:21 of the second -- with his 36th goal of the campaign -- and what proved to be the game-winner. And since nothing comes easy for these Isles, Nick Suzuki trimmed the Locals lead to one with a gut-wrenching shorthander. That left Lambert's brigade with a one-goal lead to nurse through the third period. "We did a great job grinding through it," the coach asserted with special emphasis put on defenseman Adam Pelech who logged a team-leading 23:11. (Sam Bolduc, who had erred on the shorthander was benched in the third period.) Still, it was a scary few minutes with every Montreal rush unnerving Islanders Country. Relief finally arrived thanks to captian Anders Lee who beat Montreal's Sam Montembault with four minutes left in the third period. Believe it or not it was a power play goal! And that, for all intents and purposes, did it. "We had a chance at home," said Nelson, "and we took advantage of it." New York Islanders celebrate their playoff birth. [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MTk3MjE5OTE3OTQ5MzE0MTMx/usatsi_20451402.jpg] New York Islanders celebrate their playoff birth. Really, that was the story of the game in one sentence although there were significant sidebars. To wit: * Goaltending: Ilya Sorokin was not overwhelmed with flak but he survived and thrived when the Canadiens put on the blitz. * Three Stars: 1. Nelson. 2. Lee. 3. Fasching. * Homestretch Aces: Since March 4, when the Wild Card Race got racy, Sorokin's record was a heartwarming 11-3-2; a distinct advantage over challenging Pittsburgh's beleaguered puck-stoppers. * Clutch Man: Nelson led the team with 75 points (36-39) but the noteworthy note is that he had a career-best eight game-winners. * Leadership: When offensive ace Mat Barzal went down -- and the team could have tossed in the towel -- captain Lee rallied the troops over the last two challenging months. * Biggest Save: No, this time it wasn't Sorokin. When the one-goal lead was in jeopardy in the third period, Bo Horvat intercepted a pass that could have led to the tying goal. * Face-off Master. Jean-Gabriel Pageau won 80 percent of his draws. * Coaching: By starting Matt Martin, Casey Cizikas and Cal Clutterbuck, Lambert gave his team the needed vim, vigor and vitality that also immediately got the loud crowd immediately into the game. It doesn't matter how, the boys are in the playoffs; a feat that few thought possible in October and certainly impossible after Barzal left the team with injury. "We found a way to get where we are," Lambert concluded. And that's all that mattered. Next up: The Second Season; and for the Isles it's good to be back!
