UNIONDALE, N.Y. — The standings said it was a battle for first place in the East Division between two teams tied for that distinction with 62 points.
But the real importance of Thursday night’s Capitals-Islanders game at Nassau Coliseum — and the two more ahead between them in the coming days — was playoff seedings to come, and how crucial home ice could be.
That is because the Islanders have been a powerhouse at home all season, defying logic in a COVID-19-shaped season with limited travel and limited capacity for on-site fans.
