A new team has sneakily entered the Islanders radar for the race to a playoff spot. The Islanders followed up the loss to LA, the end of the 6-game winning streak, in a major battle against the Buffalo Sabres last night. I had admittedly forgotten about the Sabres since the All-Star break considering the Islanders long struggle with so many other teams. Alas, that didn’t matter as they welcomed us in to shut us out 4-0 in one of the more important games in this run.
The Islanders had a chance to dampen the flame of the rising Atlantic underdogs, but failed to do so in a rather poor display. I give the boys credit for having played solid on the road since the OT win against Dallas, culminating in a series of wins both at home and away. They’ve been a much better team since the All-Star break despite the obvious flaws. It is also easy for us fans not to account for the toll that all of that travel can take on the body, especially after battling for 65 games.
That being said, last night was a tough one to watch. A scoreless first period left hope for a close game despite the massive turnovers, silly penalties, and poor power plays The Islanders were outshot and outworked, but anyone can have a bad first period, right? Sadly, the game only changed in score as Buffalo buried 3 in the second period, and one more in the third.
Ilya Sorokin was a standout performer, however, keeping us in the game for as long as he could. Only so much can be done to combat the overwhelming Sabres around the crease throughout the game.
The Islanders could not keep up with the Sabres, giving them ample free time in the neutral zone and in the house, and failing to complete breakout passes consistently. They looked like a run-down team. That can be overcome, but it is less forgivable given the circumstances and playoff implications. Who is going to to step up in these games when they start getting out of hand? Will guys like Bo, Barzy, and Dobson be able to capitalize when it matters most?
There is still hope for playoff success, in my opinion. If the Islanders can get in, one can hope the frustration of last year’s Round 1 bounce will help kick ‘em into gear this time, or that the excitement of the ECF runs can motivate those who have been here long enough. The Islanders need to return to the blue-collar hockey that keeps them successful, whilst maintaining the changes Coach Roy has been able to implement. Most visible of all is the Isles’ passing game, at least as far as I can tell. Last night wasn’t a great example, but if we compare the optics of Islanders hockey from the first half of the year to now it is night and day. When we’re scoring, we’re (usually) winning games, and a large chunk of the roster is getting their points in those games. There weren’t any memorable winning streaks this past Fall.
The Islanders just need to keep grinding right now, as we don’t have the luxury of sitting safely in a playoff spot. Most teams don’t this year, as the Isles are competing with Tampa Bay, Detroit, Washington, Buffalo, Philly, and even still Jersey and Pittsburgh.
We will all be watching closely as the regular season culminates in a battle for contention. The Islanders look to snag either a wild card spot or the third spot of the Metro from Philly. At this point, I’m still not sure where we’re best off.
In the Metro, we could have a rematch with Carolina, who look to be even stronger now, or the Rangers who we will find out more about in terms of a matchup when we play them in another Sunday matinee this weekend, as well as twice more on April 9th and 13th. We can also face off against Boston or Florida, which seems much less appealing (at least personally as those will be my bandwagons should the Isles fail). The Islanders will see the Panthers next week for a taste of what may come and will need to snag some points against Tampa two days later. Monday, April 1st is another date to watch as they war with Philly for that third spot.
Fortunately, the Islanders have a game or two in hand against most of those in our way. Let’s hope they can regain steam and make a dent in the playoffs this year. It is far too late for any worthy picks if we don’t make it, anyway, so let’s go Islanders!
CoverPhoto: Jeffrey T. Barnes / Associated Press
The Morning Skate 