from Andrew Gross of Newsday,

Barry Trotz left Washington after guiding the Capitals to their first Stanley Cup last season. This time the coach could leave the nation’s capital with his new team in first place in the Metropolitan Division.

“It would be meaningful,” Anders Lee said after scoring twice in the Islanders’ 4-1 win over the Devils on Thursday night before a crowd of 12,088 at NYCB Live’s Nassau Coliseum.

“It’s tough not to think about all these awesome scenarios,” Lee added. “There’s a lot of hockey left and we want to take that next step. [FRIDAY]is a great opportunity to do that.”

The Islanders’ 13th win in their last 16 games propelled them within a point of both the Capitals and the Blue Jackets in the division.

A win over the Capitals on Friday night at Capital One Arena and a regulation loss by the Blue Jackets to the visiting Canadiens and the Islanders (27-15-4) would be atop the Metropolitan as they seek their first playoff berth since 2016.

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Below, watch the highlights of the Islanders win over the Devils...