There is no way you entered this week expecting the New York Islanders would win four straight games, capped by a 41-save shutout of their western nemesis Nashville Predators, leaving the Isles in playoff position and in control of their own destiny.
Yet here we are. Semyon Varlamov stopped 41 shots, the Isles skaters blocked 33 more — tribute to Barry Trotz, that? — and the Isles made Noah Dobson’s goal halfway through the game stand up for a 2-0 win over Nashville. They even got the all-too-rare empty net goal, courtesy of Kyle Palmieri with 1:19 left in regulation, providing unfamiliar breathing room for the game’s final minute.