The Rangers and Islanders will face off tomorrow night, in the second game of a home-and-home series that has serious playoff ramifications for both teams. As a result of Monday’s thrilling shootout victory at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers moved within two points of eighth-place Carolina, with two games in hand. With each passing game, victories become increasingly critical, and so the latest chapter in this storied rivalry promises to be played out within a playoff atmosphere.

Entering last night’s games, the teams occupying the eighth through 13th spots in the Eastern Conference were separated by just six points. The Maple Leafs (11th), Bruins (12th), and Panthers (13th) were all in action last night, and so it’s quite likely the standings will look different by the time the puck drops at the Nassau Coliseum tomorrow night. Indeed, while the seventh-place Islanders’ recent run has given them a three-point lead over the Hurricanes, their cushion remains too thin for comfort.

Last season, the eighth-place Tampa Bay Lightning reached the postseason with 92 points. But there was significantly less parity; the 13th place Panthers finished with 74 points, whereas they already have 67 points this season. And so, it stands to reason that just as the Vancouver Canucks missed the playoffs despite earning 92 points last season, it’ll take more than 92 points to get to the postseason.

A good estimate is that 95 points will guarantee a playoff spot in the East this year, and the Rangers would need to earn an additional 24 points in their final 16 games (11–4–2 record) to reach that milestone. The Islanders, meanwhile, need only 19 points to get there (8–5–3 record over their final 16 games). But the Rangers’ schedule does provide them with a nice opportunity to leapfrog into playoff position when all is said and done; of their remaining 16 games, six are against teams in the eighth-to-13th logjam, and three more are against the seventh-place Isles.

Put simply, the Rangers’ fate is in their own hands. If they continue to deliver a tireless effort — as they did on Monday night against the Isles — then their chances of earning a spot in the NHL’s “second season” are quite good. The irascible Sean Avery has proven to be a strong addition, and with injuries forcing skill players Brendan Shanahan (concussion), Fedor Tyutin (sprained knee), and now Marcel Hossa (sprained knee suffered on Monday and could miss at least a month) out of the lineup, role players like Avery become ever more critical to the Blueshirts’ playoff hopes.

Monday night’s game evoked memories of this rivalry’s most heated moments, delivering on and surpassing all reasonable expectations. No, there weren’t any bench-clearing brawls. And no, not a single player left the ice on a stretcher. But the atmosphere was electric.

Both teams played with a sense of serious urgency, and the Madison Square Garden crowd responded in kind. The game presented a perfect blend of grace and physical force, demonstrating the NHL at its absolutely most entertaining, and represented a beacon of hope during a week filled with turmoil (the NHLPA controversy) and turbulence (the Penguins’ uncertain future in Pittsburgh). As was the case in each of these teams’ previous four battles this season, line matchups, and goaltending proved to be the most critical factors.

On Monday, Isles coach Ted Nolan did his best to get rearguard Brendan Witt on the ice whenever Jaromir Jagr was out there. In total, Witt received over 30 minutes’ ice time, divided among an improbably high 41 shifts (as compared to 26:39, 26 shifts for Jagr). On the season, Witt has averaged 27 shifts a game (and 21:40 ice time), which provides a strong indication of his specific importance when the Isles face the Rangers.

The biggest story to emerge from Monday’s game was the play of the goaltenders. Isles netminder Rick DiPietro delivered possibly the finest performance of his still young career. He stopped 56 of the 57 shots he faced, demonstrating tremendous poise even during Avery’s frequent visits to his goal crease. The 56 saves was an Islanders franchise record, topping the previous mark of 55 set by Billy Smith and matched by Felix Potvin.

And although the shot total would appear to reflect a complete defensive breakdown on the part of the Isles, it wasn’t actually the case. In fact, DiPietro was able to depend upon his teammates for consistent support; they blocked 25 Ranger shots. Forward Richard Zednik — doing his best impersonation of a stand-up goaltender — made an excellent save on a point-blank shot by Michael Nylander. And when DiPietro made an ill-advised centering pass from the right sideboards, an Isles defenseman calmly carried the puck to safety.

On the Rangers’ side, the goaltending performance of Henrik Lundqvist — while perhaps less spectacular — was even more crucial. The only goal he surrendered came when a puck caromed off the skate of recent acquisition Paul Mara. In all, he stopped 29 of 30 shots, and looks to have completely regained the form that enabled him to emerge as a Vezina Trophy finalist in 2005–06, his first NHL season.

Not coincidentally, the Rangers’ revival has coincided directly with the improvement in Lundqvist’s play. After seeming to be dead in the water just two weeks ago, the Blueshirts have rebounded and risen back into playoff contention.

Ironically, though the Rangers’ ownership consistently falls prey to the fallacy that the team’s fans demand star power on Broadway, in truth the Garden faithful prefers proletarians like Avery and Jed Ortmeyer (just as they previously revered the likes of Adam Graves and Ron Greschner), hardworking grinders whose contributions far exceed their natural-born talent. If the Rangers are the reach the postseason, it’ll be those grinders — and Lundqvist — who will make as much of a difference as Jagr, the resident superstar.

Mr. Greenstein is the editor in chief of InsideHockey.com.