The NHL’s parity is so frequently brought up that it has become a cliché, but Mathieu Darche’s words over the weekend rang true as to the state of the Eastern Conference.
“You win two games, you’re in first place in your division, and you lose two, you’re in last place,” Darche said.
Just 11 points separated first from 16th in the East before Wednesday’s games. As a point of reference, 24 points separated first from 16th in the West, and at this time last season, it was 15 points in the East. The Islanders have been smack dab in the middle of that equation for weeks, but woke up on Wednesday just two points behind Washington for the lead of both the Metropolitan Division and the Eastern Conference.
The Capitals face second-place Carolina on Thursday, which means the Islanders can’t reach first place until the weekend, and even that requires everything to go right. Still, this is not a conversation anyone was expecting to have this season.
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