Rather, the latest third-period implosion, which led to a 5-4 overtime loss to the Capitals, put into a starker reality that the Islanders are not merely behind the league’s typical Cup contenders, but another club that has been accused of hanging onto a core too long — and this without the injured Alex Ovechkin on the ice.

Down two entering the third period, the Capitals beat the Islanders, 5-4 in overtime, for their ninth come-from-behind victory of the season.