Islanders captain John Tavares needs help leaving ice vs. Devils

The New York Islanders may be clinging to playoff hopes, but their season is all but over by the looks of their captain at the end of Friday’s game against the New Jersey Devils.

Center John Tavares fell awkwardly over the skate of Devils defenseman Steven Santini and made contact with the back of the New Jersey net. It looked initially as though Tavares was just going to shake off the slight trip, but shortly there after, he couldn’t regain his footing.

Here’s a video of the injury:

Tavares had to be helped off the ice and was obviously favoring his left leg.

The Islanders beat the Devils, 2-1, to claim two very important points, but if Tavares has to miss any time, New York’s offense will be greatly handcuffed. The Islanders will play again on Sunday at Buffalo.

Tavares isn’t having the same type of season he is accustomed to, but he still leads the Islanders with 66 points. He is second on the team with 28 goals and 38 assists. Last season, Tavares recorded 33 goals and 70 points. The previous season, he posted a career-high 38 goals and 86 points, as he nearly won the scoring title.

After Friday’s victory, the Islanders moved into a tie with the Carolina Hurricanes for 10th place in the Eastern Conference with five games remaining, but New York remains four points out of the last playoff spot. They also have to surpass three teams in order to secure the final Wild Card position. Two of those teams – the Hurricanes and Lightning – own a game-in hand.

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At this time last week, the Islanders were in solid playoff positioning, but they dropped three in a row after last Friday’s victory at Pittsburgh. New York will end the season with four more road games and then the home season finale versus Ottawa. The Islanders are just 15-17-5 away from the Barclays Center this season.