NEW YORK _ The Islanders still competed hard, still played with emotion on the night after John Tavares' return.
But they couldn't hold a third-period lead as the Capitals pulled even with them at 81 points with the playoff push intensifying on a daily basis.
The Islanders retain a game in hand on the Capitals and thus maintain first place in the Metropolitan Division despite a 3-1 loss on Friday night before a sellout crowd of 13,917 at NYCB Live's Nassau Coliseum in the third game of a five-game homestand.
