Here is how strange and unpredictable the playoff race has become for the Islanders:

Less than a week ago, the Islanders looked doomed, entering the third period of a must-win game needing a comeback that didn’t seem likely. Now, after their 2-1 win over the Jets on Wednesday night, with Ilya Sorokin outdueling Connor Hellebuyck in a battle of Vezina Trophy-contending goaltenders, they have won three of four and occupy the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with a three-point cushion. And the biggest news for the Islanders between then and now was an injury to perhaps their best offensive player.

Try to figure that one out. Or just sit back and enjoy it.

“It doesn’t really matter to me how,” Matt Martin said. “It just matters that we get the points and keep moving forward.”

On paper, it didn’t look like the best spot for the Islanders. With Mathew Barzal out of the lineup with a lower-body injury, few games would. But for the second straight game without Barzal, they found a way.

Entering the third period tied 1-1, the Islanders were on their heels after a catastrophic power play in which they failed to complete a zone entry. But Simon Holmstrom — who was demoted from the top line on Monday before finding himself back there midway through the game Wednesday — jumped on a feed from Bo Horvat and fired a wrister past Hellebuyck at the 9:57 mark to give the Islanders the 2-1 lead.

“It’s always a confidence-booster to get a goal like that,” Holmstrom said, “especially when you have a good game as well.”

From there, it was a matter of bearing down and defending, something that even a depleted Islanders squad can do with the best of them.

They limited the Jets to just two shots in four minutes of power-play time during the third period, including following an untimely trip committed by Otto Koivula after the Islanders had taken the lead. They combined to block 17 shots, with Zach Parise sticking his foot out to catch a Nikolaj Ehlers blast with just under a minutes to go. And they had an appreciative goaltender after the fact.

“Lot of blocked shots,” Sorokin said, after finishing with 25 saves. “Not just defensemen, it’s forwards, too. You see last minute, Zach Parise, he’s 38 years old and stopped the puck with his [foot]. Really good.”

During the first period, in which Sorokin bailed out the Islanders a number of times, they managed to capitalize when the Jets made an unforced error. Mason Appleton turned the puck over, leading to a two-on-one breakaway in which Sebastian Aho pounced on Brock Nelson’s rebound to open a 1-0 lead for the Islanders.

It didn’t last, however. Ehlers capitalized, after Casey Cizikas was called for tripping early in the second period, uncorking a wrist shot that beat Sorokin clean from the left circle at the 4:30 mark.

Sorokin was still stalwart in net, helping the Islanders stay in it through long stretches of play embedded in their own defensive zone. That is the kind of advantage he can and must bring every night with Barzal out.

“I don’t overthink it,” Sorokin said. “Just one game, today’s game and nothing else. One day. Tomorrow will be tomorrow.”

“The more English he speaks, the more happy he gets around here,” Martin said of the Russian goalie. “He’s got a great personality, even-keeled in the net at all times. Both of our goalies are, and I think that is a real calming influence for us because they never seem to be rattled, they never are yelling and screaming at anybody and it just keeps everybody settled down.”

Games in hand remain the biggest enemy for the Islanders, but with each win they pick up, the math gets incrementally better. After their 61st game of the season on Wednesday, the Islanders have played more than every other team in the wild-card race, but they have a three-point lead on the Panthers, who are right behind them in the standings.

The next three games before the trade deadline next Friday — with the Kings visiting on Friday and the Islanders playing at Winnipeg on Sunday and Minnesota on Tuesday — could go a long way toward determining how viable their playoff push will be.

And the Islanders are off to the right start.