Islanders were facing a goalie who hadn’t won an NHL game in 13 months, an opponent far outside the playoff picture, an organization that already had begun a sell-off leading into the Feb. 25 trade deadline, yet here was the message for Barry Trotz’s team:
“Understand that it’s not going to come easy,” the Islanders coach said after his team snuck out of Prudential Center with a 2-1 shootout win over the Devils on Thursday night. “You look at the whole league, we’re fortunate right now to be in the position we’re in.”
Sometimes there still needs to be a reminder these Islanders remain in first place in the Metropolitan Division, now 31-16-6 with 29 games remaining in the regular season. They got themselves the extra point on a night when Josh Bailey was the only player to score in the skills competition, his quick shot in the fourth round beating Cory Schneider on the blocker side.
This was the real Schneider, not just a goalie in name only. It was at least a close facsimile to the player so many remember from a few years ago, when he looked like he would be a decade-long bedrock for the Devils. (The Schneider who current Islanders president Lou Lamoriello traded for when he ran the Devils in 2013.)
But a hip injury bothered Schneider all of 2018 (his most recent NHL win coming on Dec. 27, 2017) and he had surgery in May. He never quite rediscovered his old game, and it surely didn’t help when he suffered an abdominal strain in his most recent NHL start, on Dec. 14.
His just-completed five-game conditioning stint with AHL Binghamton was hardly a harbinger for this performance, either. He posted a .835 save percentage and 3.70 goals-against average in the minors.
But he was terrific in making 27 saves Thursday, getting around screens to flash a quick glove like he did on a long Scott Mayfield shot midway through the third period. He also battled to make stops in chaotic net-front situations, such as when he denied Anthony Beauvillier with just under three minutes left in regulation to keep the score 1-1.
It has been a long time since the Devils (20-25-8) have seen that, and the scant crowd found some voice in the old refrain of “Cor-y! Cor-y!”
“Really happy for him, and proud of him,” Devils coach John Hynes said. “It’s been a long road for him, and he’s certainly put the work in. It’s nice to see a player get rewarded for that type of effort and commitment to our team. He certainly played a good game tonight, and that’s really good for him and a good sign for our team.”
Schneider was only beaten by a Mathew Barzal breakaway at 13:42 of the first period (And who could blame him for that one?) while the performance in the other net wasn’t too shabby, either. Thomas Greiss backstopped the Islanders by making 30 saves seem rather effortless. He was beat only on a left-wing rush and knuckling shot from Kevin Rooney just 5:32 into the game. Greiss added four more stops in the shootout to collect the extra point.
“Schneider was really good today. I think we had some high scoring chances,” Greiss said. “It was just a very tight game for both teams. Sometimes the puck just doesn’t bounce in.”
It’s not going to get any easier for the Islanders, who are 2-1-2 in their last five after a torrid run of 16-4-1 from Dec. 8-Jan. 20.
Teams will be gunning for them now, and it’s going to be difficult to remain on their current perch. They are going to have to be better if they want to maintain the good feeling with the postseason picture beginning to solidify.
That fact surely was driven home Thursday, even if it came from an unlikely source.
“The last 30 games,” Trotz said, “everybody ramps it up to a different level.”