The New York Islanders weren’t a playoff team all season. They weren’t when they got off to a slow start, as was true by American Thanksgiving, the midseason break, and the trade deadline.

Even though the Columbus Blue Jackets didn’t play a game on Monday, the team still inched closer to claiming the final spot in the NHL playoffs.

The NHL's wild-card races and a division title could come down to tiebreakers. How the tiebreaker procedure works.