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PITTSBURGH -- If there is widespread belief in the hockey world that the rest of the opening-round series between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the New York Islanders is but a formality, someone forgot to send the memo to the Islanders.

In spite of the fact the Isles were whipped 5-0 in Game 1 on Wednesday night, there they were Thursday, yukking it up during a spirited early afternoon workout.

"You could see the emotion that they had today, the fun that they had today. That's what you have to do. You've got to enjoy this ride," coach Jack Capuano told reporters after the team's practice.

Yes, they are playing a very good Penguins team, the coach said, "but you want to make sure that the guys stay relaxed."

Although the score wasn't flattering -– when is a 5-0 loss ever particularly flattering? –- Capuano believes there are measures his team can take to close the gap on the high-flying Pens.

"If you look at the chances overall and you go through it, we have to play better, but it wasn't as bad as I originally thought it was," he said.

"We know they’re going to play better," Capuano added. "They'll come out and they've got another level to their game, but we certainly have to have another level to our game. We have to make sure that we defend with a purpose and defend much stronger in front of our goaltender."

Although there is little playoff experience on the Islanders' roster, the coach said he didn't want to use that as an excuse for a lackluster performance that saw the Penguins score twice in the first period and jump out to a 4-0 lead within the first two minutes of the second.

But the coach did say that the team that lost Game 1 so convincingly did not look like the team that battled adversity to finish the regular season strong and jump into a surprise playoff berth.

"At times last night, it just didn't seem like our team that played in the last month and a half of the season," said Capuano, who is coaching in his first NHL playoff series. "We've just got to recharge. It's Game 1; regroup and refocus and come back tomorrow night with a better effort all around."

There is a belief that the Islanders would like to be more physical and try to make the Penguins work harder for their space on the ice. But that is only part of how their game must improve if they are not to become the patsies most in the hockey world believe they are in this series.

Getting some offense will be key, specifically from the team's big guns.

Their best player, John Tavares, was held without a shot in Game 1, the first time that had happened all season.

"We have to realize we have to give more than what we gave last night," Tavares said. "Winning isn't easy. It's going to hurt a little bit. You're going to have to battle through a lot of things."

"There wasn't much room out there. It's part of the playoffs," the former No. 1 overall draft pick added. "There are times when you're getting a lot and times when you're not getting an awful lot and you're just trying to work through it, work with your linemates and find ways to be more productive.

"I'm not worried about that. I've just got to keep working hard, keep competing and find my ways to get shots and create opportunities for my linemates. At times we seemed to get a little bit of space, but we didn't take advantage of it. We have to create some more and capitalize when we get it."

Like many of the Islanders, Wednesday’s game represented the first playoff game for Tavares. But if there is reason to believe the Penguins are not simply going to waltz their way into the second round, it's the Islanders' history of resiliency this season.

"I don't know exactly what it is, but for the most part we've had some good bounce-back times this season when we've had some struggles and we've come back and done well," said Brad Boyes, Tavares' regular linemate.

Whether there's been enough of an education for this young Islanders team to slow a Penguins team that has juggernaut written all over it will be revealed in Game 2 on Friday night.

But certainly there is no lack of optimism in the Isles' locker room, even if much of the hockey world has already written them off.

"Even myself coming to the rink today, I was like, I think we can win next game," Boyes said. "I really do. And I think that’s part of our attitude too is we do believe that in here."

"With skepticism and everything from the outside from the beginning with us, it's not anything really new," he added.

Bruins 4, Maple Leafs 1 (Bruins lead series, 1-0)
* Bruins: 4-1-0 vs Maple Leafs this season (including regular season); outshot Maple Leafs 40-20
* David Krejci (Kray-chee) (BOS): Goal, 2 assists; 5th career playoff game with at least 3 points
* Bruins: 1-3 on power play; scored PP goal in 3 of last 4 playoff games
* Maple Leafs: 1st playoff appearance since 2004 postseason
* Maple Leafs: winless in last 6 games at Bruins (including regular season)
FROM ELIAS: David Krejci, who recorded only one goal and two assists over his final 13 games during the regular season, matched those totals with one goal and two assists in the Bruins’ 4–1 win in Game 1. It was the fifth career postseason game of three or more points for Krejci, who registered only one goal and two assists for Boston in its seven-game first-round series loss to the Capitals in last year’s playoffs. Krejci’s five postseason games of at least three points have all come in the last four years; no other NHL player has more than four such games over that span.

Penguins 5, Islanders 0 (Penguins lead series, 1-0)
* Marc-Andre Fleury (PIT): 6th career playoff shutout; 26 saves
* Pascal Dupuis (PIT): 2 goals; did not have a goal in final 7 games of regular season
* Jarome Iginla (PIT): 2 assists; 1st playoff point since April 22, 2009
* NYI: Most goals allowed in 19 games (since allowing 5 to Montreal on March 21st)
FROM ELIAS: Marc-Andre Fleury recorded the sixth shutout of his NHL postseason career as the Penguins opened the 2013 playoffs with a 5–0 win against the Islanders. Fleury, whose six postseason shutouts tie him with Tom Barrasso for the Penguins team record, has notched three of those shutouts in Pittsburgh’s first game of a playoff year. (He blanked Ottawa in the Penguins’ first game in the 2008 playoffs and Tampa Bay in Pittsburgh’s 2011 opener.) No other active NHL goaltender has more than one shutout in a team’s first game of a playoff year.

Sharks 3, Canucks 1 (Sharks lead series 1-0)
* Sharks: won all 4 meetings with Canucks this season including playoffs (1 win in shootout)
* 1st time home team lost in this year's Stanley Cup Playoffs
* Canucks: 3-5-1 in last 9 games dating back to regular season
* Canucks: lost despite outshooting Sharks 30-28

PITTSBURGH -- Islanders coach Jack Capuano talked before the game about the need for his team to stay disciplined. Yet early in the first period, former Penguin Brian Strait took exception to a Matt Cooke hit on one of his teammates and gave Cooke a shot as Strait was coming onto the ice, drawing an interference penalty. The Pens’ Beau Bennett scored late in the power play to put the Isles behind the eight ball early on. The power-play goal was aided by the fact a clearing attempt by the Isles struck one of the on-ice officials in the neutral zone and allowed the Penguins to quickly return to the Islander zone.

***

Veteran netminder Evgeni Nabokov was yanked early in the second period after allowing four goals on 15 shots. Three of those goals came after he took a Jarome Iginla rocket off the top of his mask, a shot that left him momentarily dazed in the first period.

"I never had that. The chunk was out, and I think the mask is done," Nabokov said.

"It’s the first time I’ve actually felt it," Nabokov said, adding that he was lucky the puck hit the top of the mask as opposed to a more direct impact on the forehead or cage.

"Yeah. Good mask," he said ruefully.

***

Pittsburgh defenseman Mark Eaton, who was part of the Pens’ Cup-winning team in 2009 before departing for Long Island, where he played for two seasons, signed with the Penguins in February as a free agent when the Penguins were beset by injuries. He drew an assist on Pascal Dupuis’ second goal Wednesday night, his first point of the season. He led all players with eight blocked shots. When the Penguins are healthy along the blue line (Brooks Orpik missed Game 1 with an injury sustained late in the regular season), Eaton usually plays with Kris Letang his defense partner during the ’09 Cup run.

***

Marc-Andre Fleury’s sixth postseason shutout leaves him tied with Tom Barrasso for the most playoff shutouts in franchise history.

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Penguins showed up for work Wednesday morning wearing T-shirts with the No. 4 on the back, a nod to the immediate task of winning four games to get out of the first round of the playoffs.

No word on whether those same shirts will be worn Thursday with the "4" crossed out and replaced by a "3" after the Penguins whipped the New York Islanders 5-0 in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series.

They’re just T-shirts, of course: some fabric and a little lettering, including the phrase, "Here We Go."

But the shirts speak to a mindset, a narrowing of the focus to the task at hand.

When you are a team as deep and talented as the Penguins -- and when there is as much discussion about a long playoff run, a possible trip to the Stanley Cup finals, another championship -- it might be easy to forget about first things first.

If you look at the big picture, if you look at what is needed to win a Cup, "It’s a bit overwhelming," Pittsburgh forward Craig Adams said after Wednesday’s game.

And if you start thinking about that, "you’ll never get there," he said.

"Everyone wanted to hand us the Cup last year, and we saw how that turned out," Adams added.

And there’s the rub.

In an interview before Wednesday’s game, Pittsburgh GM Ray Shero went to great pains to reinforce that his team was very mindful of the Islanders, even though the Pens were the top seed in the Eastern Conference and the Isles the eighth seed.

"I know this team has a great deal of respect for the Islanders," Shero said. "There’s no way we’ll be underestimating them."

Those are the kinds of sentiments that are on display when you’re coming off a 2012 playoff season that really ended before it began with the Penguins blowing a 3-0 lead against Philadelphia in Game 1 and quickly falling behind 3-0 in the series en route to a six-game loss. It was the second consecutive one-and-done playoff spring for the Penguins, and they have won just one playoff round since winning the Stanley Cup in 2009.

So you can understand if there is an emphasis on the details this time around.

"We’ve been preaching that all year," Adams said. "I think we’ve been humbled."

After one game, it would appear the message has sunk in, as the Penguins methodically took apart an inexperienced Islanders team that is playing in the postseason for the first time since 2007.

The Pens took advantage of an early power play to go up 1-0 after a terrific play by Beau Bennett, who cut in from the right side and roofed a shot over veteran netminder Evgeni Nabokov. Bennett wouldn’t be in the lineup if it weren’t for the fact that doctors declined to let captain Sidney Crosby suit up for Game 1.

Talk about taking advantage of your opportunities: Bennett scored in his first-ever playoff game.

The Penguins would add another power-play goal early in the second period by Kris Letang before Pascal Dupuis, the king of even-strength goals, added two while the teams were playing five aside. Tanner Glass rounded out the scoring with his first-ever postseason goal.

Defensively, the Pens killed off four Islander power plays and limited the Isles to 26 shots, providing netminder Marc-Andre Fleury with ample protection. Fleury, who endured a nightmare series last postseason against the Flyers, earned his sixth postseason shutout.

"Everything went great tonight," Dupuis said. "Yes, we did play the right way, but you have to keep saying to yourself it’s only 1-0."

If there was cause for concern for the Penguins, it was the loss of James Neal, who got tangled up with Travis Hamonic early in the second period and did not return. There was no information on his status for Game 2 Friday.

Also, Jussi Jokinen, who added two assists and continues to be a point machine since coming over from Carolina at the trade deadline, went off the ice gingerly after a collision with Islanders forward Marty Reasoner, who was assessed a kneeing major with 2:10 left in the game.

The Islanders, meanwhile, looked like a team whose most important players (outside Nabokov) were playing in their first playoff game. Reasoner, playing in his 24th career postseason game, was the player with the most playoff experience among Islander skaters, and he’d been a healthy scratch for the final 10 regular-season games.

John Tavares, who figures to be among the finalists for the Hart Trophy as the league’s MVP, was a nonfactor, finishing the night without a shot. Likewise, Brad Boyes and Matt Moulson weren’t the players who combined for 25 regular-season goals.

Head coach Jack Capuano said the team’s work ethic and determination weren’t what they had been during the final month of the regular season, when the Isles secured an unexpected playoff berth, and the execution was lacking.

Nabokov, a player Capuano referred to as an extension of the coaching staff given his experience, was given the hook just 1:51 into the second period after the Pens made it 4-0 with two goals in 32 seconds.

Although he was beaten twice by hard, high shots courtesy of Bennett and Letang on the power play, this loss wasn’t a function of poor goaltending. Instead, this was a loss that was, pure and simple, about one team being light years ahead of another in terms of getting the job done.

"Obviously, I think it was a little bit too easy for them, for the Penguins. All-around game has to be better. Better saves, more saves. I guess it’s got to start with me," Nabokov said.

"I’ve got to make key saves at the key times and give the guys a chance to battle. But the game was over basically at the beginning of the second period, it’s four-zip, and it’s really tough to come out of it against that type of team. So [I] have to find a way to tighten up and be better," he said.

Of course, as the Pens’ T-shirts remind us, this series is not the best of one.

The Islanders have a chance to regroup, and one imagines whatever nerves and butterflies might have invaded their bodies Wednesday will have dissipated by the time Game 2 rolls around Friday night.

"I don’t think anything is easy. You have to come out, and you have to work hard. It’s got to hurt to play; I heard somebody in the locker room actually say that: It’s got to hurt to play," Nabokov said.

"I think we have to come out next game, and we have to be ready, be more physical and just make it hard on them everywhere, every inch of the ice. We have to battle for every inch of the ice, everywhere. I think that’s the only way we can play with that team because, otherwise, they’re too skilled. They’re too good."

An Island Away: The Islanders haven’t won a playoff series since 1993 and visit the Penguins tonight. According to Elias, the 18 seasons without a playoff series win for the Islanders is the third-longest in NHL history among teams with at least two series wins. The Coyotes franchise went 23 seasons from 1988-2011, and the Rangers went 20 seasons from 1951-70.

Conference Quarterfinals
5 Maple Leafs at 4 Bruins – Game 1 – 7 ET
* Bruins: 3-1-0 vs Maple Leafs during regular season
* Bruins: went 2-5-2 in final 9 games of regular season
* Bruins: 5-8 in previous 13 playoff series vs Maple Leafs (won last postseason meeting in 1974)
* Jaromir Jagr (BOS): active career leader in playoff goals (78), assists (111) & points (189)
* Maple Leafs: 1st playoff appearance since 2004 postseason
* Maple Leafs: winless in last 5 regular season games at Bruins (last road win vs BOS: Mar. 31, 2011)
* Maple Leafs: have not won Stanley Cup since 1966-67 season (longest active Cup drought)

8 Islanders at 1 Penguins – Game 1 – 7:30 ET
* Penguins: 4-1-0 vs Islanders during regular season
* Penguins: led NHL in goals during regular season (165)
* Sidney Crosby (PIT): has not played since suffering broken jaw in March 30 game vs Islanders (tied for 3rd in NHL in scoring during regular season with 56 points)
* Islanders: 1st playoff appearance since 2007 postseason, have not won a playoff series since 1993 postseason (Divisional Finals series win over Penguins)
* Islanders: have won all 3 previous playoff series vs Penguins (all series went full distance [2 best-of-7’s & 1 best-of-5])
* Islanders: 14-6-4 on road during regular season (vs 10-11-3 at home)

6 Sharks at 3 Canucks – Game 1 – 10:30 ET
* Sharks: won all 3 regular season meetings vs Canucks (1 win in shootout)
* Sharks: 9th straight playoff appearance (2nd-longest active streak in NHL)
* Sharks: went 1-3-0 in final 4 games of regular season
* Canucks: won only previous playoff series meeting vs Sharks in 2011
* Canucks: went 3-4-1 in final 7 games of regular season
* Canucks: 5th straight postseason appearance; longest streak for team since making 6 straight playoff appearances from 1990-91 through 1995-96

PITTSBURGH -- Although the Penguins have been involved in two previous outdoor games -- playing in Buffalo in the inaugural Winter Classic in Buffalo in 2008 and hosting the Winter Classic at Heinz Field in 2011 -- there was still excitement voiced about the opportunity to take part in another outdoor game, this one March 1 in Chicago against the Blackhawks.

Defenseman Paul Martin grew up in Minnesota and playing outdoors was part of his childhood.

"It takes you back. For me, I grew up skating on the pond," he said.

Martin took part in the 2011 Winter Classic as a member of the Penguins and is looking forward to the Chicago event.

"Definitely, we all enjoyed it," he said.

Penguins president David Morehouse told ESPN.com these events are important especially after the lockout.

There has to be a greater emphasis on marketing the league "and how we project the game," Morehouse said.

"We have to be less of a tribal sport and more of a broader sport, where people watch games just to watch the games, not just their teams, and I think these kinds of things help that," he said.

Because the Olympic tournament is dominated by NHL players, Morehouse also likes that the Chicago game will follow the end of the Olympic tournament, and perhaps act as a catalyst toward keeping the casual fan who might have been following the Olympics to stick with the NHL game.

"I think as we're trying to broaden and expand the brand and get more and more casual hockey fans to be deeper and more energetic hockey fans, these are the kinds of things we're going to have to do," Morehouse said.

"I think we're enthusiastic about these types of events and we’ll always say 'yes' when we're asked," he added.

Experience issues

One of the key storylines of the Islanders-Penguins series will be the lack of playoff experience in New York's lineup. Sixteen Islanders available to play in this series have never played in an NHL playoff game, including key personnel John Tavares, Matt Moulson and Josh Bailey.

But one player who has been down this road a few times is netminder Evgeni Nabokov, who leads the team with 80 postseason appearances.

His importance to the club and the Isles ability to stay close against the heavily favored Penguins cannot be overstated.

"I think with Nabby, he's an extension of your coaching staff," head coach Jack Capuano said Wednesday.

"He's a guy that can settle the room down. I know over the last couple of days we've had some real good meetings with our hockey club and he's been pretty vocal about his experience, along with a few others," the coach said.

Nabokov played in 41 of 48 games for the Isles this season.

"It's a long series, and the one thing I think that Nabby will tell you there's no panic no matter what happens. There's going to be surges, there's going to be momentum throughout the course of the game and throughout the series," Capuano said.

We're not privy to the NHL's marketing slogan for the 2013-14 season, but it might be something like "Go Big or Go Home, but Definitely Go Outdoors."

Of course, if you read much of the negative commentary surrounding the NHL's decision to multiply its successful outdoor game model like so many bunnies next season -- with six in-the-elements events on the docket -- you'd think the league was determined to bring back the glowing puck and make all its players wear uniforms with blinking lights.

The NHL announced Wednesday the first plank in its ambitious stadium series of outdoor games for the 2013-14 season, a March 1 date at Soldier Field in Chicago between the Blackhawks and the Pittsburgh Penguins, set for 8 p.m. ET.

Over the next week or so, the league will unveil its plans for two outdoor games during Super Bowl at Yankee Stadium involving all three New York-area teams; one at Dodger Stadium between the Anaheim Ducks and the Los Angeles Kings on Jan. 25; and another installment of the Heritage Classic in Vancouver between the Canucks and the Ottawa Senators to be held the same weekend as the Soldier Field event.

These games are in addition to the previously announced Winter Classic to be held Jan. 1, 2014, in Ann Arbor, Mich., between Original Six rivals, the Detroit Red Wings and the Toronto Maple Leafs.

When news first broke last month that the NHL was going to take its product outdoors for a total of six games next season, it was interesting to note the instant boo-hooing that arose, mostly from the media.

Oh, too many outdoor games.

Oh, it'll turn the Winter Classic into a cheap dime-store version of its former self.

Oh, it'll rain.

Oh, it'll be too hot.

Oh, the league just wants to make money.

Funny how it works, but the NHL has long been criticized -- and rightly so -- for being too timid, too parochial, too unwilling to seize the moment and work at becoming more than just a niche sport in the United States.

Outdoor games aren't a panacea for all that ails the NHL, but when the league does think outside the box, it is flayed in some quarters.

Yes, these outdoor games are financially successful. Is that a reason not to do more of them?

Funny how much of the criticism of the league has come from the media, and yet we haven't heard much carping from the fans themselves.

Are people in California upset with the opportunity to take in an evening of hockey at Dodger Stadium? Don't think so. And unless we are completely off base (get it, a baseball reference for this game?) the tickets to the first regular-season outdoor game on the West Coast will go in a heartbeat.

Assuming the event is well-received, it will also open the door to more outdoor opportunities in nontraditional markets.

Are the fans in the New York area -- where the NHL estimates there will be 1,000 accredited media members for the Super Bowl festivities leading up to the game in New Jersey on Feb. 2 -- barking at the fact that the New York Rangers will play the New York Islanders and New Jersey Devils in twin games at Yankee Stadium?

Uh, no.

Think fans in Chicago will turn away from a chance to see their beloved Blackhawks and the Penguins at Soldier Field because they already hosted a Winter Classic in 2009?

That game between the Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings, the second Winter Classic ever, is considered by Chicago officials to be a seminal event in that team's renaissance after years of being the butt of jokes throughout the sporting world.

The 2013-14 season provides an interesting opportunity for the NHL to try to write itself back into the good news department after another potentially catastrophic labor stoppage scuttled almost half the 2012-13 season.

In a matter of weeks, the NHL will formalize its relationship with the Olympics and agree to take part in the Sochi Games in February.

Two of the outdoor games, including the Soldier Field game, will take place the first weekend after the end of the Olympics and should provide a terrific lead-in to the stretch run of the regular season and be a nice reminder that the NHL is back in business after being shut down for the Olympic break (something that not all owners agree is a good thing).

As for the notion that introducing other outdoor events to the NHL landscape somehow cheapens the Winter Classic, which has evolved into the NHL's most important regular-season date, the schedule of events surrounding the Winter Classic in Michigan promises to make it the most successful iteration yet.

Each year the Winter Classic has grown in scope, and the net it has cast around the hockey community has grown. The event next year involving the Red Wings, postponed this season because of the lockout, calls for multiple alumni games to be played at Comerica Park in downtown Detroit, along with games at various levels, including the major junior and college ranks.

NHL COO John Collins suggested in an interview that the Detroit Winter Classic will be the “granddaddy” of Winter Classics given the surrounding events, including those at Comerica Park, and the game itself at the Big House in Ann Arbor.

Whether it's been Boston or Philadelphia or Chicago, the Winter Classic games have captured the imagination of the local markets and become a touchstone for the casual fan, an elusive group the NHL has been courting for decades.

The fact that more fans than ever will be able to take part in these kinds of events next season can hardly diminish that dynamic.

"It's not just one lens you're looking at this through,” Collins told ESPN.com on the eve of the Soldier Field announcement. "You have to be at these events to understand how the game becomes a gathering point for a community, the way a community lights up around hockey."

"That local impact is incredibly powerful," Collins said.

Would the fans in California likely have a chance to take in a Winter Classic if the league stayed within some self-imposed limit of having one or two outdoor games a season? Not likely.

Is it important to return to big markets like Chicago, where the game continues to grow in importance? Absolutely.

But next season allows the NHL to broaden its appeal while still promoting its biggest markets, and its biggest stars, on the outdoor stage.

Are there risks with taking the NHL into the elements six times next season? Of course.

The league will purchase a new portable ice-making unit that will be used for the Dodger Stadium game, then transported up the coast to Vancouver for the Heritage Classic. But even as technology has evolved and given the league more opportunity to create pristine ice surfaces outdoors in different locales, there will always be concerns about the integrity of the game when you expose it to the natural elements.

Any time the league puts on one of these events, it courts disaster as it relates to how Mother Nature will react. It rained in Pittsburgh in 2011 and the Winter Classic had to be postponed a day.

There have been issues with sun and snow, and the potential for precipitation in Vancouver or in New York next season will always be there. But the league has contingency plans, and what might happen with the weather has become part of the fabric of the events themselves.

What happens moving forward will depend largely on how next season’s outdoor experiment works out.

"I think it’s fluid but we are working on a three-year plan," Collins said.

Added deputy commissioner Bill Daly, "Next year represents opportunities that aren't going to be there every year."

There is nothing to suggest the NHL will go outside five or six times every year, but if these events unfold as planned, you can bet the number of teams clamoring to host an outdoor game will only increase.

In the end, is that such a bad thing?

For a host of playoff bubble teams facing dire situations, Tuesday was not a good night.

With the Dallas Stars, New York Rangers, New York Islanders and Winnipeg Jets all scrambling to secure tickets to the postseason dance, those four teams somehow managed to go a combined 0-3-1. Two of those teams, the Rangers and the Islanders, could not take advantage of weak opponents in the form of the Florida Panthers and Carolina Hurricanes, respectively.

The Isles did pick up the lone point among the four teams in a shootout loss to the Canes, and it was enough to propel them into the postseason for the first time since 2007. While his name rarely comes up in discussions as a possible Jack Adams Award winner as coach of the year, is it not time to at least give Jack Capuano a little love given how low the expectations were for the Isles this season? (And, as if you needed to check, the Isles were able to avoid a regulation loss Wednesday with 1:01 left in the third period on John Tavares' 27th goal of the season.)

Of the losses that were most painful among this gang of four, Dallas' 3-2 loss to the San Jose Sharks was a killer. The Stars gave up two goals in a 30-second span in the second half of the third period and couldn't get the equalizer to at least push the game to extra time.

The Stars are in 10th place in the Western Conference, three points out of eighth with two games to play. They must beat the eighth-place Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday and then hope that Saturday's season finale against the ninth-place Detroit Red Wings has meaning.

Like Dallas, Columbus has two games remaining on its schedule, whereas Detroit has three. The Jets, meanwhile, saw any hopes of a Southeast title go up in smoke Tuesday when they were beaten 5-3 by the surging Washington Capitals, who secured the top spot in the division with the win. The injury-plagued Jets battled back from an early 2-0 deficit to make it 2-2 in the second period, only to give up two more goals in less than three minutes late in the middle frame.

The Jets are almost out of time as they trail the Ottawa Senators and the Rangers, who lost 3-2 to the Panthers on Tuesday, by one point. But the Jets have only one game remaining, while the Senators have three left and the Rangers two.

TORONTO -- The New York Islanders open a five-game trip here Thursday night to close out their regular season with much still at stake.

Seventh in the East to begin the day, three points ahead of the danger zone and just one point behind the Ottawa Senators in sixth, the Isles could end up anywhere from fifth to ninth in the conference depending on how they fare on this trip.

Ending the season with five away from home would be a scary task for many teams, but it just so happens that the Isles have one of the best road records in the league at 12-5-2. This is not something they're fretting about.

"It's been great for us all year," star center John Tavares said after Thursday's morning skate. "We play with a lot of calmness and confidence on the road, just composed in a lot of situations. There's a lot of swings of momentum in a game, and we seem to handle those a lot better on the road more consistently this season. We need to rely on that and keep it going."

Besides, current form should give the Isles enough confidence. They're 9-1-2 in their past 12 games, a late-season run that has buoyed their long-suffering fan base.

"It's great," Tavares said. "We're not there yet but we're getting closer to the goal that we've been trying to accomplish for a while. I think we're proving what we're capable of, but we know we still haven't accomplished anything yet."

After Toronto, the Isles jet off to Winnipeg, Carolina and Philadelphia before wrapping it up next Friday night in Buffalo.

A win in regulation Thursday would lift the Isles to two points behind the fifth-place Toronto Maple Leafs, and the players in the visitors dressing room Thursday morning were very much aware of that juicy possibility.

"We're aware of the circumstances at this time of year," Tavares said. "The teams are real tight in the standings and there's a lot of battling for positioning for the playoffs. There's a lot up for grabs for both sides tonight."

The Leafs have a shot at home ice for the first round of the playoffs, thanks to the stumbling Montreal Canadiens. Toronto -- 7-2-1 in its past 10 games -- enters Thursday four points back of the Habs.

The Leafs wrap up the regular season against their rivals at home April 27. Fourth place is very much a possibility for Toronto, and the players know it.

"Definitely," Leafs goalie James Reimer said. "Anytime you can catch the team in front of you, whether it's from eighth to seventh or from second to first, that's what you're focused on. They [the Canadiens] have had a couple of unfortunate games; that's good for us and hopefully we can catch them. If we win tonight, maybe we close the gap. We hope to keep rolling."

Thing is, the Leafs -- who can clinch a playoff spot Thursday night depending on what also happens in Winnipeg -- have to start playing better than they have over the past week. They were downright lucky to beat New Jersey on Monday, Reimer stealing them those two points after the Leafs were outshot 32-13, and they got their just rewards a night later in Washington, when the red-hot Caps drubbed Toronto 5-1.

"We need to play a better brand of hockey than we did in the last six periods," Leafs coach Randy Carlyle said. "It's as simple as that. Or we're not going anywhere. Our focus is getting our team back to where we're capable of playing, because the last six periods for us is not something we'd say we're proud of.

"We have a group of players that have performed fairly well for us [this season] in the situations they've been presented, and now the next one is the most important one: That's tonight against the Islanders."

The Leafs have been outshot in eight straight games, not a trend that would seem to indicate long-term success. Then again, they've been outshot in 32 games this season and sport a sparkling 19-8-5 record in those games.

"We chart where the shots are coming from," Carlyle said. "And that's the most important thing to us. Yeah, we would like to keep our shots [against] down below 30, as every team would. And we'd like to get over 30 [on the opponent]. There's areas where we can improve on, for sure."

Lineup notes: Islanders coach Jack Capuano said veteran blueliner Matt Carkner would be inserted into the lineup for Radek Martinek. … Casey Cizikas, who left the Islanders' last game with an upper-body injury, said he was ready to go for Thursday. Josh Bailey, who also appeared to be banged-up in the last game, also said he's good for Thursday. … Toronto forwards Matt Frattin and Clarke MacArthur will likely be back in the lineup after being healthy scratches Tuesday at Washington. … Carl Gunnarsson will miss his third straight game with a lower-body injury. Carlyle said the defenseman might return Saturday in Ottawa.

So, maybe the New York Islanders are about to show us they can be something other than the butt of cruel hockey jokes about dingy arenas, lunatic contracts and adding useless bodies in order to get to the salary-cap floor.

Absent from the playoffs since 2007, the Islanders last won a playoff round in 1993, but here they are, with less than a month left in the regular season, tied for eighth in the Eastern Conference with the New York Rangers. The Isles finished a four-game trip Monday night with a tidy 3-1-0 record, thanks to a 3-1 victory over their neighbors from New Jersey, the Devils. The only loss during the trip came against the league’s top team, the Pittsburgh Penguins.

In fact, with an 11-5-1 road record, the Isles are one of the most successful teams in visiting rinks in the Eastern Conference. If you assume it takes some measure of maturity and discipline to win on the road, then perhaps coach Jack Capuano has done more teaching than he is generally given credit for with this young Islanders team.

Conversely, it doesn’t speak well of a team that stinks when it has to return to its aging home on Long Island. The Isles are 6-11-2 at home, the worst home mark in the league. That will have to change at least marginally if the playoffs are to be anything more than a mirage. Still, the Isles have won four of five and allowed only eight goals over that five-game span.

Can 37-year-old Evgeni Nabokov keep up the pace? The former San Jose Sharks backstopper has played in 16 of the past 17 games and has done yeoman service for the Islanders, a team he originally balked at joining when he returned from a stint in the Kontinental Hockey League.

And know this: Every Isles win puts even more pressure on their higher-pedigree New York-area cousins. The Devils, without Ilya Kovalchuk, have struggled offensively and are especially vulnerable when they fall behind, as they did giving up two early goals to the Isles on Monday. The Devils are only two points ahead of the Islanders and the Rangers. The Rangers came up with a huge 4-2 win over Winnipeg Monday after being shut out in successive games. They hold a game in hand on both as they have 13 games remaining in the regular season and the Isles and Devils have 12. But the Rangers rank last in the league in goals scored and the Devils have won only twice in their past nine games. While they have managed to collect points in six of those nine games, it seems inevitable that unless New Jersey finds a way to reverse this trend of mediocrity, the Devils will not be among the top eight in the conference at the end of the month. Of course, the fact that the Isles are making a rare playoff push just adds to the unusual dynamic for the three New York-area teams.

On the Jaromir Jagr front, it was still unclear as of Monday afternoon what will transpire. The Dallas Stars approached the Jagr camp three weeks ago about a contract extension, and the two sides have gone back and forth since. But still no contract extension.

Why? I'm hearing the Stars' front office is debating whether the team should sign or trade Jagr. And that decision had not been made as of Monday afternoon.

Other teams are absolutely calling with interest on Jagr. No surprise there, as he'd be a perfect rental. Hello, Boston Bruins?

But the Stars, who already dealt pending UFA Brenden Morrow, have to figure out if they should cash in on pending UFA Jagr or keep him around for another season. After all, the Stars were only two points out of a playoff spot Monday morning.

Sign him or trade him? To be determined.

Sens fielding calls on Bishop

A source told ESPN.com Monday that the Ottawa Senators have received "several calls" regarding goalie Ben Bishop the past day or so.

The Senators, I don't think, feel pressed in moving Bishop before Wednesday's deadline. They're more than happy to wait until the summer to figure out their three-goalie situation with Bishop, Craig Anderson and Robin Lehner.

However, if a team made a strong enough push on Bishop (hint, hint: top-six forward), then he could certainly be moved over the next few days.

Meanwhile, pending UFA blue-liner Sergei Gonchar is more than likely staying put. The Senators need him for the playoff run.

McBain's name comes up

One new name popped up Monday as potential trade bait: defenseman Jamie McBain.

I'm told the Carolina Hurricanes would be willing to move him if the offer was right. McBain is not a rental; he has one more year on his deal at $1.9 million in salary and $1.8 million on the cap. He's an intriguing name, to be sure, a guy who can provide some offense from the back end.

Speaking of the Hurricanes, I'm also hearing that, despite clearing waivers last week, forward Jussi Jokinen continues to generate interest from other teams that want Carolina to take a player back in return. So he could definitely move before Wednesday's deadline.

Jokinen is a player the Vancouver Canucks have on their radar, although I would say he's not at the top of their list.

All quiet for Clarkson, Devils

A source told ESPN.com Monday that the New Jersey Devils and David Clarkson's camp have still not held any talks regarding the pending UFA. Again, not entirely surprising. Veteran Devils GM Lou Lamoriello traditionally doesn't view the trade deadline as any kind of pressure point when it comes to his UFAs.

Jackets willing to trade a first-round pick

My TSN colleague Darren Dreger was first to report this, but I can also confirm that the Columbus Blue Jackets, suddenly in a playoff spot, are willing to move one of their three first-round picks in the June 30 draft if they can get a scoring forward in return. (In today's edition, the Columbus Post Dispatch also reported that the Jackets would be willing to move one of their picks.) Mind you, they wouldn't do that for a rental player; it has to be a player with term past this season, a source told ESPN.com.

Still, that's a shift in thinking from when new GM Jarmo Kekalainen took over earlier this season and had only the long-term view in mind. It seems the incredible run the Jackets have been on over the past month-plus has forced him to try to throw his team a bone.

It also wouldn't surprise me if Columbus was willing to move a defenseman to get that top-six, scoring forward.

Penguins 2, Islanders 0
* Penguins: 15th straight win (tied for 2nd-longest single-season win streak in NHL history)
* Penguins: 15-0-0 in March; FROM ELIAS: 1st team in NHL history to go 10-0-0 or better in a full calendar month
* Penguins: won 12 straight home games (started season 3-4-0 at home)
* Sidney Crosby (PIT): left game in 1st period after taking puck to face (6 goals, 19 assists during streak)
* FROM ELIAS: The Penguins have recorded 3 straight shutouts in 1 seasons for the 1st time in franchise history.

Longest Single-Season Winning Streaks In NHL History
Wins
1992-93 Penguins 17
2012-13 Penguins 15 <<
1981-82 Islanders 15
2009-10 Capitals 14
1929-30 Bruins 14
>>Active streak

Stanley Cup Playoff Results
Teams With Single-Season Win Streaks Of 14+ Games
Win streak Playoffs
1992-93 Penguins 17 Lost in Divisional Finals
2012-13 Penguins<< 15 ?
1981-82 Islanders 15 Won Stanley Cup
2009-10 Capitals 14 Lost in Conference Quarterfinals
1929-30 Bruins 14 Lost in Stanley Cup Final
>>Active streak

Longest Single-Season Win Streaks In Penguins History
Season Wins Playoffs
1992-93 17 Lost in Divisional Finals
2012-13<< 15 ?
2010-11 12 Lost in Conference Quarterfinals
2011-12 11 Lost in Conference Quarterfinals
>>Active streak

Penguins Upcoming Schedule
Potential Date Opponent Head-To-Head
Win # This Season
16 April 2 vs Sabres 1-0-0
17 April 3 at Rangers 3-0-0
18 April 5 vs Rangers

Canadiens 3, Rangers 0
* Canadiens: won 8 straight home games vs Rangers, their longest home win streak against Rangers since winning 11 in row from 1965-66
* Rangers: 2nd straight game being shut out
* Carey Price (Canadiens): 4th straight shutout vs Rangers in Montreal
* P.K. Subban (Canadiens): 3 assists, tied season high with 3 points

Flyers 3, Bruins 1
* Flyers: snapped 4-game losing streak (outscored opponents 12-3 in last 3 wins)
* Flyers: 1st home win vs Bruins since Oct. 22, 2009 (1st coming in regulation since March 10, 2007)
* Mike Knuble (PHI): 1st power play goal since April 6, 2011
* Bruins: 1st regulation loss this season when Nathan Horton scores a goal (entered 5-0-3)

Panthers 3, Devils 2 (OT)
* Devils: 3rd straight game losing in either overtime or shootout
* Dmitry Kulikov (Panthers): 1st goal of season wins game in OT, 2nd career overtime goal
* Shawn Matthias (Panthers): game-tying goal, 2nd straight multi-goal game, 5 goals in last 3 games

Wild 4, Kings 3 (SO) (won shootout 3-1)
* Wild: won 8 of last 9 home games
* Zach Parise (MIN): scored tying goal (15) on PP midway through 3rd period
* Kings: 2-game road winning streak snapped

Maple Leafs 4, Senators 0
* Nazem Kadri (TOR): hat trick, (Last Leaf with 2 hat tricks in a season prior to Kadri was Alexander Mogilny in (2002-03)
* Maple Leafs: 5-0-3 in last 8 games (last regulation loss was March 14 vs Penguins)
* Jeffrey Lupul (TOR): scored goal in 6 straight games
* Senators: 2nd regulation home loss in last 12 games (9-2-1)

Capitals 4, Sabres 3 (SO)
* Capitals: 3-0-0 vs Sabres this season
* Capitals: 4-1-0 in last 5 games
* Alex Ovechkin (WSH): scored in shootout and in 2nd period; 7 goals in last 7 games
* Sabres: 0-1-2 in last 3 games (last 2 games are losses in shootouts)

Hurricanes 3, Jets 1
* Hurricanes: 1st win in 8 games (0-6-1 in previous 7)
* Eric Staal (CAR): 2nd straight game with a goal (16); had just 2 goals in previous 11 games
* Alexander Semin (CAR): Goal (10) and assist for 2nd straight game; 10 goals in all 8 NHL seasons

Avalanche 1, Predators 0 (F/OT)
* Avalanche: snap 4-game losing streak
* P.A. Parenteau (COL): Ast; has 2G, 5A during a 5 game PT streak
* Predators: lost 5 straight on the road
* Martin Erat (NSH): 4-game point streak snapped

Oilers 4, Canucks 0
* Oilers: scored on each of 1st 3 shots on goal (1st team to do so since Dallas Stars in October 2009)
* Taylor Hall (EDM): 1st Oiler with hat trick in 1st period since Jason Arnott in March 1996
* Oilers: won 3 straight games (outscored opponents 13-4)
* Canucks: loss snaps 6-game winning streak

Sharks 3, Coyotes 2 (SO)
* Sharks: 3-0-1 in last 4 home games vs Coyotes (3 of the games decided by shootout)
* Sharks: 6-0-3 in last 9 home games (last regulation home loss Feb. 5)
* Joe Pavelski (SJ): scored goal in 4 straight games
* Coyotes: 1-5-3 in last 9 road games

Perhaps the biggest name left on the trade market is Jay Bouwmeester.

That’s if he is indeed dealt.

The Calgary Flames don’t have to necessarily move him -- he’s got one more year left on his deal (at $6.6 million), so he’s not a pending unrestricted free agent forcing the NHL club to seek immediate asset return.

But since the face of the franchise, Jarome Iginla, has been dealt, anything is possible now in Calgary.

"I think they move Bouwmeester," one NHL team executive told ESPN.com Friday. "But they want a lot for him."

As they should, frankly. He’s not a rental player and, at 29, he’s in the prime of his career. He’s a top pairing blueliner and those don’t come around easily in this league.

Central Division rivals Detroit and St. Louis are teams that have interest in Bouwmeester, no question. The Blues crave a top-4, left-handed blueliner who can play alongside either right-handed stud Alex Pietrangelo or Kevin Shattenkirk.

But Bouwmeester’s salary could be an issue for a Blues team which has a number of core players to re-sign this summer: RFAs such as Pietrangelo, Shattenkirk, Patrik Berglund and Chris Stewart, not to mention UFA Andy McDonald.

Pietrangelo and Shattenkirk alone are due for healthy raises.

The new CBA, however, provides for teams to "retain salary in trades." If the Blues could get the Flames to eat some of that Bouwmeester salary in return for paying the asset price that Calgary wants, well, I guess that’s a possibility.

The Red Wings don’t need anyone to pay anyone’s salary -- that’s not an issue. It’s all about the asking price from the Flames and whether Detroit could live with giving up that kind of asset package -- whatever it might be.

The Los Angeles Kings are another possibility, and they are definitely on the lookout for help on defense. There was hope recently that top-four blueliner Willie Mitchell (knee) could play this season, but a source told ESPN.com Thursday that the Kings aren’t as hopeful now. Either way, the Kings were supposed to know more next week on Mitchell.

And really, regardless of his status, the Kings want to add on the blue line.

But like St. Louis, the Kings have players to re-sign before next season, the likes of Rob Scuderi (UFA), Slava Voynov (RFA), Alec Martinez (RFA) and Jonathan Bernier (RFA).

Not to mention the fact that the salary cap is going down from $70.2 million to $64.3 million.

So for the Kings to be a player on Bouwmeester, they’re going to have to shift a few things around this summer to absorb his $6.6 million salary.

The Philadelphia Flyers are also believed to have some interest in Bouwmeester, and they certainly should. They need a premium puck-moving blueliner, there’s no question.

Thing is, Bouwmeester has a no-trade clause and controls his fate. For a guy that’s never played a playoff game in his career, would he really waive his NTC to go to what appears to be a non-playoff team this season?

In the end, I’ve only mentioned a few teams, but there’s no shortage of interest on a player like Bouwmeester.

Which is why the Flames can also wait until the offseason if they want.

Visnovsky talks progress

I wrote earlier this week that the New York Islanders reached out to Lubomir Visnovsky's camp Tuesday to see if there was any interest on the player’s part in talking extension.

Talks have since progressed and a source told ESPN.com Friday that things looked positive on a possible extension. Islanders beat writer Arthur Staple went even further in a Friday afternoon tweet saying a deal could be "done soon."

Visnovsky, 36, is slated for UFA status this summer with his five-year, $28 million deal expiring ($5.6 million cap hit).

If he indeed signs, that’s certainly an indication the Islanders are focused on making the playoffs and nothing else.

Here’s something important to keep in mind as the Ryane Clowe situation plays itself out before next Wednesday’s trade deadline.

Clowe has a full no-trade clause. The San Jose Sharks have to run this thing by him in order to get a deal done.

Which means if, for whatever reason, Clowe doesn’t believe a certain team is a good fit, he can nix it. Although, in the same vein, Sharks GM Doug Wilson did well by Douglas Murray in the move to Pittsburgh, and the sense is that Wilson and Clowe have a good line of communication on what’s transpiring.

A solid playoff performance on a top contender would augment Clowe’s UFA market value this summer, so he’s not against a trade if it makes sense for him.

Of interest is where Montreal fits into all this. Boston is tracking Clowe, among other players on its short list, as a possibility in case it strikes out on Jarome Iginla.

Clowe, though, is exactly what the Habs need, a power forward to complement the skill they have up front. But GM Marc Bergevin isn’t terribly keen, I think, about the idea of giving up prime, future assets for a rental player. He knows his team, despite its success this season, isn’t in the all-in mentality of Boston and Pittsburgh when it comes to the trade deadline. And the Canadiens don’t have the same depth of prospects in the organization as the Bruins and Penguins do.

The early price on Clowe, I’m told, is a first-round pick and another young asset. There’s zero chance the Canadiens trade a first-round pick. Bergevin wants to continue to build his base. He’s got the long-term view in mind.

So my sense is that the Canadiens keep tabs on the Clowe situation but, unless the price comes down, they’re not getting him.

The Rangers are also interested in Clowe.

One more interesting twist here on the Clowe situation: Don’t just assume he’s 100 percent headed to an Eastern Conference team. I’m told there are Western Conference teams, the Vancouver Canucks among them, that also covet Clowe.

Given that the Sharks may make the playoffs, you wouldn’t think Wilson would want Clowe in his own conference come playoff time, but I guess it all comes down to who steps up the most in trade talks.

I know this: Clowe is a warrior. Despite his struggles this season, he would be a big-time addition to any contender. The games become more of a grind in the playoffs and he's the type of guy who excels in that context.

Jokinen clears waivers

Jussi Jokinen cleared waivers Wednesday and that seemed to come as a surprise to many given the reaction on Twitter.

Certainly there are teams out there looking to add a top-nine forward, no question.

But as one NHL GM told ESPN.com Wednesday morning, he would have loved Jokinen more if he were an unrestricted free agent after the season. That extra $3 million left on his deal for next season made him hesitate, so he didn’t put in a claim for the player.

What’s at play here is that the salary cap next season goes down to $64.3 million from this season’s $70.2 million maximum. Teams will be careful and picky in the kind of dollars they add to next season’s payroll over the next week.

It’s not over on the Jokinen front though. There are teams interested in him but they want Carolina either to eat some of his salary or take a player back in return.

Meanwhile, how about Boston claiming Kaspars Daugavins off waivers from Ottawa on Wednesday? He’s the same player, of course, who had Bruins players raising their eyebrows earlier this month with a shootout move heard around the world. Now he brings his shootout skills to Beantown. Go figure.

Extension talk with Visnovsky

New York Islanders GM Garth Snow, I’m told, reached out to Lubomir Visnovsky’s camp Tuesday to see if there was any interest on the player’s part in talking extension.

It’s not clear whether it will lead to a deal, but agent Neil Sheehy’s answer was sure, let’s talk.

Visnovsky, 36, is slated for UFA status this summer, a five-year, $28 million deal expiring ($5.6 million cap hit).

If contract talks don’t produce a deal, you can bet Snow’s phone will ring April 3. As a rental, Visnovsky is the kind of puck-moving blueliner that many playoff-bound clubs covet and, in fact, other teams have already been calling on him.

Of course, the Islanders themselves aren’t out of the playoff running -- they pulled off a huge win Tuesday night in Washington -- so Snow might not have any inclination in moving Visnovsky even if he’s not signed.

Cowen on the mend?

The Ottawa Senators might make their best late-season addition from within.

Local media were stunned Wednesday when they arrived at the rink and saw Jared Cowen practicing with teammates.

The top-four blueliner originally was expected to be out for the season after undergoing hip surgery in mid-November.

Sens GM Bryan Murray, while watching Cowen skate Wednesday, told ESPN.com over the phone that there’s a possibility of a late April return, although truthfully he said it wasn’t clear at this point if/when the player could return.

Still, a welcome sight for the Senators on Wednesday; Cowen has been missed this year.

Tell you what, if the Senators can get Cowen, goalie Craig Anderson and star center Jason Spezza all back in time for the playoffs, hold on to your seats.

Hemsky, again

It wouldn’t be a trade deadline without banter about Ales Hemsky’s availability. A year ago the rumors were put to bed when Hemsky signed a two-year, $10 million extension. Now his name is surfacing, although almost it seems out of habit in media commentary as opposed to actual signs that the Oilers are shopping him.

I don’t think Edmonton is actually going out of its way to shop him, but I do think they’re taking phone calls on him and at this point, they have to be receptive to many things because the rebuild is lasting a bit longer than the ticket buyers had hoped in Edmonton.

The Oilers want to get tougher/grittier in their top-six forward group and they also need more help on defense. They’ve got lots of skill in their top-six forward group, but a little more room to skate for Jordan Eberle and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins would go a long way. Acquiring a power forward, however, is easier said than done.

I suspect you’ll hear Hemsky’s name out there right up to the deadline. He’s got one more year left on his deal at $5 million and he does not have a no-trade clause, so Edmonton is free to do what it wants with him.

No guarantee he moves, though.

Meanwhile, there have been contract talks between the Ladislav Smid camp and Oilers brass. Smid is UFA after the season. He’s a dependable blueliner, but if they can’t sign him before April 3 and the Oilers remain out of a playoff spot, he could be a trade target. But the hope with the Oilers right now is to sign him and keep him.

Ribeiro's future

So what do you do if you’re the Washington Capitals?

Mike Ribeiro is a pending UFA who also happens to be leading your team in scoring.

The 33-year-old center told Washington reporters earlier this week that he’d like a long-term deal, whether that’s staying put or hitting the free-agent market.

There has been a conversation between the Caps and Ribeiro’s camp and word is veteran agent Don Meehan is slated to circle back to GM George McPhee before the end of the week.

The decision here isn’t just intriguing from the Caps’ point of view, in terms of whether they want to invest long-term in a 33-year-old Ribeiro. The player has a call to make here, too. The free-agent market isn’t terribly deep this summer and he might enter the marketplace as the top-scoring player available.

It all depends, in the end, on how far Washington is willing to go with him.

The lockout-shortened season, with its compressed schedule and unique challenges, was bound to offer up a few surprises.

Here’s one to consider: the New York Islanders sneaking into the playoffs.

With roughly one month remaining and one week until the April 3 trade deadline, the Islanders find themselves in sole possession of ninth place and only two points behind the eight-place Rangers.

Sure, there have still been the phantom, cap-cushioning trades, the laughably low payroll and the maddening third-period meltdowns -- all things that have earned the organization derision across the league -- but there’s also been a resilience from a team that simply refuses to bow out.

Tuesday night’s 3-2 win over the Washington Capitals in D.C. was a prime example. It had all the makings of one of those losses that leaves fans either pulling out their hair, hitting the bottle, or both.

Up 2-0 within the first eight minutes of the game, New York squandered an early lead when the surging Capitals answered back with a pair of goals from Mike Ribeiro and John Carlson in the middle frame. Also worth mentioning is the fact that superstar center John Tavares and his first-line mates looked shaky in their own end.

Despite his poor defensive play earlier in the game, or perhaps fueled by it, Tavares refused to let the two points slip past. With 5:18 left in regulation, Tavares one-timed the puck past Caps goaltender Braden Holtby to snap a 2-2 draw, becoming the second player in the league to reach 20 goals this season, leading the Islanders to what might have been the biggest win of the season.

The Isles passed both the Capitals and Carolina Hurricanes with the victory.

Tavares, who has rightfully earned the reputation as one of the league’s elite offensive threats, seems to possess the rare ability to single-handedly will his club to wins. And if the team can clear its biggest hurdle -- reaching the postseason for the first time since 2007 -- his name must be in consideration for the Hart Trophy. It’s been five straight seasons without a playoff appearance, and Tavares seems determined not to let it reach six.

The Islanders’ stubbornness also presents an interesting situation for general manager Garth Snow. Save for his first year as GM in 2007 -- when he acquired Ryan Smyth as a high-profile rental in anticipation of a playoff push -- Snow has largely been a seller at the trade deadline. This season, he will likely try to retain his most valuable trade chips instead of shopping them for future picks and prospects.

Captain Mark Streit, the type of puck-moving defenseman who practically every team covets this time of year, is in talks with the Islanders to re-sign. Snow is also expected to try to lock up goaltender Evgeni Nabokov and veteran defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky. Teams might come calling on Brad Boyes or Matt Moulson (the Boston Bruins always seem interested in the latter, don’t they?) but Snow’s priority now has to be keeping some pieces in place rather than retooling for the following season.

Of course, there is always the possibility that the Islanders flame out and sputter toward the finish line when the stakes are high. But the chances of that happening are no different than that of the other handful of teams gridlocked in the middle of the standings.

Their goal differential isn’t great (11th in the East with a minus-11) and both the Rangers and Hurricanes have both at least a game in hand (the Canes have two), but the Islanders also have a manageable schedule the rest of the way.

They face the high-flying Pittsburgh Penguins only once more and are already done this season against the Montreal Canadiens. They have an important stretch in mid-April with a match against the Bruins sandwiched between two games against the Rangers and Flyers, but then move on to the downtrodden Panthers before closing out the season on a five-game road trip.

And while that seems a daunting task for a team on the cusp, consider this: The Islanders have been far better on the road (9-4-1) than at home (6-11-2).

Not since 2007 have the Islanders made the playoffs. This might be the year they return.