Indeed, times have changed. Last year, the Rangers owned the town by winning the Atlantic and posting the East’s best record. The Islanders finished near the bottom. A point better than the Canadiens. Things sure have a way of coming full circle. Montreal clinched the playoffs last night with a win at Buffalo. They rank second in the conference to Pittsburgh and lead the Northeast by a point over Boston. Who did the Bruins lose to? That would be the hottest team in hockey, the New York Islanders. By defeating one of the league’s best 2-1, they improved to 8-1-1 over their last 10.

These days, the Islanders don’t lose. They no longer beat themselves or implode. More encouraging for them is that it’s not always Tavares or sidekick Matt Moulson doing the scoring. On some nights, there’s Colin McDonald sniping or setting up Michael Grabner’s winner like he did previously in a home win over the Flyers. Or underrated playmaker Frans Nielsen dancing around until he find someone open or finishes himself. Sometimes, it’s Matt Martin, who’s everything Sean Avery once was on the other side of the rivalry. Martin punishes opponents with ferocity and also can hit the net. Even forgotten former first rounders Kyle Okposo and Josh Bailey are chipping in. Bailey’s two goals were the difference in Beantown. Casey Cizikas has also been involved on an overlooked third line that does the grunt work.

One of the questions entering 2013 was how the Islanders would replace P.A. Parenteau. Parenteau leads an awful Colorado team in scoring. Under Jack Capuano, everyone’s contributed. That includes bargain Brad Boyes who nobody else wanted. He was basically run out of Buffalo. Playing with Tavares and Moulson, Boyes has reemerged with 31 points (8-23-31) including 12 power play points (1-11-12). The trio of Tavares (24-18-42), Moulson (13-26-39) and Boyes are one, two, three in team scoring. Exactly what you want from your top line.

Without Evgeni Nabokov, they’re not where they are. Nabokov has become the most indispensable goalie in hockey. In 35 starts, he’s won 20 of the Isles’ 21 games. The man known as Nabby is 20-11-4 with a 2.54 goals-against-average (GAA), .910 save percentage and three shutouts. That’s three more than last year’s Vezina winner, Henrik Lundqvist. Lundqvist still possesses better numbers (2.12 GAA, .926 save percentage). One look at the Islanders blueline is enough to tip your cap to Nabokov even more. They’re doing it with captain Mark Streit, a banged up Travis Hamonic, aging Lubomir Visnovsky, Andrew MacDonald, Matt Carkner and another Kings castoff Thomas Hickey. Hardly intimidating. Nabokov’s performance is that much more valuable. Isles’ backups are 1-5-0 with a 3.68 GAA and .869 save percentage.

Entering this shortened season, I didn’t see how it would change on the Island. Not coincidentally, I picked the Rangers first and the Islanders 15th. Fast forward and it’s the underdogs by the Meadowbrook who are in better position for the playoffs. Their latest victory keeping them in a tie for sixth with Ottawa. The Senators make up their extra game tonight against the desperate Devils, who are on life support. You know who they along with the Rangers will be rooting for. Without a doubt, these are strange occurences that only happen during a playoff race. It can make your blood boil. The Flyers gave us another reason to hate them.

Currently, the Islanders are seventh with 46 points. Two better than the Blueshirts, who enter tomorrow’s big game in desperation mode. They’re far from safe with the Jets blowing the doors off Florida 7-2 Thursday. Winnipeg is still hoping to win the Southeast, which the Caps lead by two with one extra game left. The Jets are tied with the Rangers in points (44) but have only six left. They own the ROW (regulation/overtime wins) tiebreaker with 20. The Rangers have 16 compared to the Islanders’ 18. Even if they beat them in regulation Saturday, they’ll still rank seventh or eighth depending on what the Senators do. Ottawa also has 16 ROW. It really is tight. The Devils only have 13 and need to get hot. They’ll probably need a six or seven wins to have a shot. New Jersey has 40 points with eight remaining.

The Rangers and Islanders haven’t played many big games the past decade. Tomorrow is one of them. The winner a little closer to the postseason. The loser causing a bit more anxiety. It would be nice if both made it. It could happen at the expense of the Devils. The last time both the Rangers and Islanders made the playoffs without New Jersey was ’86-87 when the Wales Conference still existed with the first two rounds divisional format. The old days of the Patrick and Adams while the Norris and Smythe existed in the Campbell Conference. With realignment set for 2013-14, a return to the glory days will be present. But will all three teams make it? The Devils, Islanders and Rangers last made it together in ’06-07. Unless the Devils turn it around and get help, there’s almost no chance. Complicating matters, they face the Rangers twice.

These are strange times when anything’s possible. Cue the theme from End Of Days. The battle’s just begun.