Jordan Eberle's hat trick enables Islanders to end skid with win over Red Wings
The Islanders were keenly aware that they started the day out of a playoff position for the first time since mid-October and were coming off an 0-4-0 western road trip in which they totaled two goals.
Facing the NHL-worst Red Wings temporarily resolved those issues.
A 4-1 win on Friday night before a sellout crowd of 13,917 at NYCB Live’s Nassau Coliseum, which included the jersey retirement ceremony of four-time Stanley Cup winner John Tonelli’s No. 27, lifted the Islanders and their revamped lineup back into a playoff spot as they opened a three-game homestand.
“Yeah, it doesn’t lie,” Jordan Eberle said of the standings after scoring his third career hat trick and first with the Islanders. “We have to be in playoff mode or we’re not going to get in. Those are big points tonight.”
Semyon Varlamov made 21 saves and defensemen Andy Greene and Devon Toews made goal-saving plays for the Islanders (34-20-6), who started the day behind both the Blue Jackets and the Hurricanes for the Eastern Conference’s two wild-card spots.
But the win, coupled with the Rangers’ 5-2 win at Carolina, moved the Islanders back into fourth place in the Metropolitan Division, one point behind the Flyers, and into the first wild-card spot.
Did being out of a playoff spot provide a jolt to the Islanders? “Yeah, it does. They’re human,” coach Barry Trotz said. “All I know, from all my years of experience, is you want to be in the position we are with 20-odd games to go because you’re playing meaningful games. If we play well and we get in, that’ll serve us well because we’ve had to go through adversity.”
Jonathan Bernier stopped 36 shots for the Red Wings (15-44-4), who officially were eliminated from playoff contention.
In that light, and with the NHL trade deadline looming on Monday, the Islanders likely should not feel too comfortable.
With Bernier also off for an extra skater, Anthony Mantha’s power-play goal brought the Red Wings within 2-1 at 17:25 of the third period.
The Islanders then put it away when Eberle completed his hat trick with a power-play goal with 36.3 seconds to go and Leo Komarov added an empty-netter with 6.2 seconds left.
“We needed to stop the bleeding,” said Anders Lee, the current No. 27, who had two assists. “We just needed a big win tonight. It didn’t matter how. Didn’t matter what kind of fashion. But it was nice to at least put a couple of extra in.”
“It was a pretty disappointing road trip,” said Varlamov, who made his fourth straight start. “I think today was a fun night. Everybody was pumped before the game. It was a nice ceremony. It was a great atmosphere. The fans were amazing.”
Andrew Ladd and rookie center Otto Koivula were recalled from the Islanders’ AHL affiliate in Bridgeport and were in the lineup. Rookie wing Kieffer Bellows was returned to Bridgeport — though, oddly, he remained at the Coliseum to watch the game from the press box — and center Derick Brassard was listed as day-to-day. He exited Wednesday’s loss at Colorado after being hit in the head by the puck and going through the concussion protocol.
The Islanders held a 13-2 shot advantage in the first period but led only 1-0 on Ryan Pulock’s one-timer from the right point that grazed off Eberle at 5:45.
Eberle’s second goal, a short-side shot from the left circle off Mathew Barzal’s feed, made it 2-0 at 17:02 of the second period.
Greene thwarted a cross-ice feed from Andreas Athanasiou headed to an open Valtteri Filppula early in the second period.
Toews raced back to tie up Dylan Larkin on a potential breakaway at 12:13 of the second period.
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.
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