from Ethan Sears of the New York Post,

As messy as the Islanders’ season has been, it’s fairly simple now.

Beat the Devils.

And that’s it.

Beat the Devils and the Islanders will clinch third place in the Metropolitan Division and a likely first-round rematch against the Carolina team which beat them at the same hurdle a year ago.

Beat the Devils and the Islanders will have a chance to erase the exhausting ups and downs of this season.

Beat the Devils and it will not matter that the Islanders have lost more times than they have won this season, or that they hold a negative-21 goal differential, because they will have a chance to make history and memories this spring.

“We were in a tough spot. A lot of people counted us out,” Mathew Barzal told The Post following a short practice on Sunday afternoon. “Came together as a group and have given it everything we have. Every guy in here’s been committed the last three weeks more than I’ve maybe ever seen.”

On March 24 — just three weeks ago — the Islanders were behind the Red Wings, Capitals and Flyers in the standings by three, four and six points, respectively.

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