New York Islanders beat New Jersey Devils, kick Toronto out of the playoffs  

Well, after one of the most intense hockey games on Saturday night pitting Toronto vs. Montreal against each other to get the last playoff spot, it all proved to be pointless. Today, the New York Islanders stole the last spot right out of the hands of Toronto, the spot that they had for just a moment, then saw it vanish.

It was another intense game, set at the American Airlines Arena. The first 3/4 of the game were relatively slow, having the Isles go up 2-0, but it was the final minutes that got the entire home crowd on their feet cheering their New Jersey team on. With under 5 minutes to go, New Jersey scored on the rookie third-string New York goaltender to cut the lead to one, and a failed attempt to clear the puck out of the zone in the final 17 seconds, New York turned it over, allowing a last-second goal to be scored to send the game to overtime.

Overtime saw a few good chances, but in the end it all boiled down to the shootout. New York went up 2-1 in the shootout, leaving the last New Jersey player to try to score on the rookie to keep the game going, but a poke-check saved the Islanders from getting knocked out of the playoffs, and at the same time put the Toronto Maple Leafs out of the Stanley Cup race for the second time in as many years.

It's okay, Toronto, we know how much you love golfing. Besides, there's always next year. Always next year.