About 75% of teams in a playoff position as of Thanksgiving make the NHL playoffs, and the Isles currently sit in a wild-card position.

An 18-year-old phenom and a Norris contender are dominating early NHL award races, setting impressive records and dazzling fans.

Rantanen was given a five-minute major penalty and a 10-minute game misconduct for boarding Islanders defenseman Alexander Romanov.

Bo Horvat scored his 13th goal of the season in the second period before being ejected for high-sticking in the third, and the New York Islanders held on for a 3-2 victory over the Dallas Stars on Tuesday night. Calum Ritchie and Kyle Palmieri also scored and David Rittich made 22 saves for the Islanders, who are 5-1 on their seven-game road swing.

Calum Ritchie and Bo Horvat scored for the Islanders (11-7-2), who are 5-1-0 with one game to go on a seven-game road stretch. Rittich made 22 saves. “It’s good to get the win. Good teams find a way to get the win,” Ritchie said. “Great effort all around all night. That’s a good team over there, so it’s good to get the win.”

Cal Ritchie has not been Matthew Schaefer, which is to say his introduction into the NHL has gone on what you might call a normal pathway.

Both the Dallas Stars and New York Islanders went through almost every emotion in the final two minutes of the third period.

Patrick Roy unleashed a verbal attack on Mikko Rantanen after a boarding hit sent Islanders player Alex Romanov crashing into the boards, sparking an ejection and heated reaction.