Color the New York Islanders and Philadelphia Flyers as winners Tuesday night in the NHL, as the former picked up two points with a shootout win while the latter appeared to gain strength even though they did not show up to play.
The Islanders defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 2-1 even though they barely held their own for 65 minutes against a team that appears to be playing out the string.
The Flyers gained an advantage because the Boston Bruins and the Detroit Red Wings both lost in regulation.
With the season scheduled to end April 10, the Islanders and Flyers are holding down the two wild-card spots in the Eastern Conference with 91 and 87 points, respectively.
The Red Wings also have 87 points, but the Flyers are inside the playoff structure because they have played two fewer games than the Red Wings. The Flyers have seven games remaining, and they will play one of those games Wednesday night when they host the Washington Capitals.
Washington has already clinched the Presidents' Trophy and will have home-ice advantage as long as it remains alive in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Steve Silverman
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