“If Toronto is afraid to overturn calls made by their referee, we don’t need Toronto. That’s all I want to say,” said Islanders coach Patrick Roy. That’s quite a strong statement, wouldn’t you say? Then again, it’s not surprising after what transpired during the New York Islanders vs. Columbus Blue Jackets game. What would’ve been a match-winning goal turned into a nightmare.

With the score line tied to three goals a piece, the Islanders had found just what they were looking for the whole game. Kyle Palmieri redirected a shot from Alexander Romanov to score the all-important winning goal with just 10 seconds left in regulation. Or so the Islanders thought. Officials immediately waved off the goal, citing goaltender interference and the situation room in Toronto upheld the decision after review. Needless to say, as a team pushing for a playoff spot, the Islanders contested the call.

“I don’t understand what’s a goal in their eyes anymore. I think that’s the frustrating part. There’s no black or white in my eyes. And obviously, they saw it differently,” New York Islanders alternate captain Bo Horvat said in the locker room. Horvat saw the whole thing unfold. “He kind of clipped Palms’ (Palmieri), the back of Palms’ leg, and Palms kind of stumbled,” added Horvat, but he still couldn’t see why they disallowed the goal.

But, how did the situation room see it? Here’s the official version: “New York’s Kyle Palmieri impaired Elvis Merzlikins’ ability to play his position in the crease prior to the goal,” explained the situation room. They even cited Rule 69.1, which basically states the same thing while upholding the referee’s decision. Kyle Palmieri himself didn’t like that explanation.

“I guess the goalie needs five minutes to get reset and ready for the shot, and it looked like he couldn’t wait to wave it off,” said the New York Islanders right-winger. The disallowed goal, that ultimately allowed the Columbus Blue Jackets to beat New York in the shootout, hurt more than any other regular season loss. In fact, it may have just sealed the Islanders’ fate.

The New York Islanders are on a precarious perch

The clash between New York and CBJ was crucial in the four-way struggle playing out in the Eastern Conference right now. The Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, Columbus Blue Jackets, and New York Islanders are all competing to earn the two wildcard spots to the NHL playoffs. With 75 points, the Montreal Canadiens are already in the first spot to earn the first wild card.

That leaves the three teams contesting for the sole remaining spot. With the Canadiens and Rangers off Monday night, the New York Islanders needed to beat CBJ to earn those crucial two points. However, things just got interesting, with the Blue Jackets earning two points instead. Now the Islanders are stuck between a rock and a hard place.

While they are level with the Rangers, the other New York team has the chance to pull away from the Islanders. Yet that might be easier said than done, as the LA Kings are in blistering form, scoring 14 goals in the last two games. Even still, the Columbus Blue Jackets are also nipping at the Islanders’ heels, sitting just 1 point behind them with 73.

So no matter which way you cut the lemon, it’s going to taste sour for the New York Islanders. The race to earn the final wildcard in the Eastern Conference just became more high-stakes.