Islanders 5, Kings 2: Road Trip Win Keeps Them Dangerous

The Islanders walked into Los Angeles and left with a 5-2 win, and that's the kind of result that should make you sit up a little. Road games in the NHL are never clean, and a three-goal margin against a home team tells you New York was the side making the decisions when it counted.

Los Angeles had its chances to get back in this one, but the final score says the Islanders were the team that finished. Scoring five times on the road is a statement about commitment, not just talent, and it's hard to argue against a team that gets the job done in somebody else's building.

For Kings fans, this one stings more than the scoreline suggests. Losing at home by three is the sort of result that makes a team re-examine its details, especially when the other side looks this composed on the way out of the arena.

The Islanders don't need a perfect night to be a problem for the rest of the league. They just need to keep playing like guys who want to be on the road, and they did exactly that here. Consider this one a reminder that the standings are built on games like this, the ones that don't look flashy on a highlight reel but count just as much in the column.