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Jaroslav Halak returns to play hero of Islanders’ playoff push

Greg Wyshynski

The New York Islanders won a huge game on Wednesday night, defeating the New York Rangers and moving two points out of the last wild card spot (80 points) behind the Boston Bruins (82 points). They have a game in-hand on the B’s, and a game remaining with them on Saturday night.

The problem is that they also have two more really, really difficult games surrounding that showdown: Friday night at Pittsburgh, with the Penguins in the thick of the conference championship race. Then on Monday they face the Nashville Predators, who are in their own playoff tangle in the West.

They also have back-to-backs against the Flyers and Devils, and then the Devils and Senators to end the season.

The good news is, like against the Rangers, Thomas Greiss can have his strong nights. The troubling news is that they’re not all strong: He has a sub-.900 save percentage in the last two months. The bad news is that he’s human, and hence can be afflicted by fatigue; and that Jean-Francois Berube clearly isn’t ready for primetime, and can’t be trusted to give Greiss the breathers he needs with the margin of error this small for the Islanders.

The solution?

BAH GAWD THAT’S JAROSLAV HALAK’S MUSIC!

From the Bridgeport Sound Tigers:

The New York Islanders announced today goaltender Jaroslav Halak has been recalled from loan from the team’s American Hockey League affiliate, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. Halak, 31, played 27 games with the Sound Tigers this season and ranked third in the AHL with a 2.15 goals-against-average. He posted a record of 17-7-3 and added a save percentage and two shutouts. In addition, Halak won a franchise record 12 straight games from Jan. 20, 2017 – Feb. 19, 2017.

What a ride for Halak: World Cup of Hockey hero, regular-season pariah banished to the minors, AHL domination and now back with the big club at the most vital juncture of the season. If we know anything about Halak, it’s that he’s a big-moment goalie. Hard to imagine this wasn’t the card Garth Snow was ready to play at this time all along, if Halak found his groove as he did in the AHL.

Now, if only Snow had fired Jack Capuano earlier, the Islanders wouldn’t be in this predicament …

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Greg Wyshynski is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter. His book, TAKE YOUR EYE OFF THE PUCK, is available on Amazon and wherever books are sold.

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