Islanders hoping history can repeat itself again with another late playoff push

We’ve seen the Islanders do this before.It’s becoming something of a regularity.Two years ago, it was a 14-7-2 run after Mat Barzal went down injured, culminating in a win-and-in victory in Game 82 to clinch a playoff berth.

Last year, it was a 10-2-1 finish without a regulation loss in the month of April, pulling the Islanders into the postseason when their chances looked shot after a six-game losing streak in March.This time? The Islanders traded Brock Nelson ahead of the deadline, an admission that they couldn’t solely prioritize a playoff berth while sitting in 13th place in the East on deadline day.The last time they occupied a playoff spot in the standings was Nov.

19.Only in the nominal sense was there still a shot at making it.And yet, here we are.“It feels very similar,” Adam Pelech told The Post on Tuesday night in a victorious dressing room after the Islanders overturned a two-goal deficit in the final period to beat the Penguins 4-2 and pull within three points of the Canadiens for the final playoff spot.Suddenly, the Islanders have put together two straight multi-goal comebacks — their first time doing so in consecutive games in regulation ever, per team statistician Eric Hornick.

Suddenly, the Islanders are staring at a home date against the Habs on Thursday that is their biggest game of the season.Suddenly, they have a real chance at this thing.

Again.“Every season’s different, but we’ve found ourselves the last couple years in this situation,” Noah Dobson said.“It’s a veteran group in here, but we know it’s not always gonna be pretty.

You just gotta find a way to dig deep.We just go one game at a time.

That’s two in a row here.Look to build and get ready for a big one Thursday.”There’s plenty of time left, with 15 games to go in a regular season that can go any way from here.

Four weeks until the regular-season finale in Columbus doesn’t feel like long, but in reality, it’s an eternity.The Islanders, though,...