Now comes the first-place showdown.
The Islanders, coming off one of their most complete, 60-minute efforts, open a three-game series against the Capitals on Thursday night at Nassau Coliseum. It will go a long way toward determining whether the Islanders, 19-2-2 at the Coliseum, can secure home-ice advantage in the playoffs.
"You have to find a way to turn the page quickly, whether you have a good one or a bad one," Josh Bailey said after scoring two goals and adding an assist in Tuesday’s 6-1 win over the visiting Rangers. "When you have a good one, you try to ride that wave forward and keep that confidence and we’ll look to do that.