Mickey Togs

As the Islanders skated off the UBS Arena ice on Friday, handshake lines finished and last vestiges of the crowd clearing out, the reality in front of them was clear as day.

They had lost a winnable Game 6, 2-1 to the Hurricanes on home ice with Paul Stastny ending their season in overtime. 

They had lost a winnable series, blowing leads in both Game 2 and Game 6 that will haunt them for the entire offseason. 

And they might have lost their best chance of an extended playoff run with this core of players.

“One-goal leads in the playoffs are just not safe,” Mathew Barzal said in a dead-quiet locker room, repeating a mantra the Islanders learned in the first round to their chagrin.

The deeper and tougher Knicks had little trouble overpowering and vanquishing the Cavaliers in the end, even with negligible contributions  for most of the first round from their lone All-Star.

One game after Julius Randle had been benched for the entire fourth quarter of Sunday’s win at Madison Square Garden, he re-injured his left ankle late in the second quarter and didn’t play in the second half.

And Tom Thibodeau’s gritty squad absorbed every punch once more and prevailed yet again.

Jalen Brunson finished with a team-high 23 points and Obi Toppin filled in ably for Randle in the second half as the Knicks dispatched the Cavs in five games, finishing them off without their leading scorer for the final two quarters of a series-sealing 106-95 victory Wednesday night at a silenced Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

Thibodeau and the Knicks deservedly will make the franchise’s first trip to the second round of the playoffs since 2013 and only their second since 2000. 

All-new Italian Mozzarella Chicken Sandwich, Italian Mozzarella Cheeseburger and Garlic Fries are bringing bold and savory innovation to Wendy’s.

Wendy’s Italian Mozzarella Chicken Sandwich brings all the familiar flavors of a homemade Italian dinner in one delicious sandwich. The juicy, lightly breaded crispy chicken breast is topped with fried mozzarella cheese, marinara sauce, and naturally aged Asiago cheese, served in a toasted garlic bun. 

The Italian Mozzarella Cheeseburger includes a quarter-pound of fresh beef, topped with fried mozzarella cheese, marinara sauce, and Asiago cheese all sandwiched between a toasted garlic bun.

And last but not least, coated in a flavorful garlic herb sauce, are Wendy’s Garlic Fries, made with natural-cut, hot & crispy french fries.