The Islanders did well to get themselves back into playoff contention and the teams around them have done their part by fumbling points in the standings to keep the Islanders around. But the Isles have failed at every turn to seize that final wild card spot and create space between themselves and their competitors. This week Dan Rosen of NHL.com joins Sean and Stefen to look closer at the Eastern playoff race and how things might turn out as we enter the last ten games of the season.
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Good Morning, Islanders Country.
At the conclusion of last night’s 6-4 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes, color analyst and Isles legend Butch Goring summed it up best. “There’s enough good things being done to win the hockey game, but there’s more bad things happening that allows them to lose the hockey game.”
Two games, two losses—two examples of why the Islanders are increasingly likely to miss the post-season. The Tampa Bay Lightning and Canes were beatable this weekend, but the Islanders could not clean up the details Patrick Roy had emphasized as critical down the stretch. There were too many penalties, too many missed assignments, and too many soft goals, offsetting the resiliency the group continued to show. It just doesn’t lead to wins often enough.
“We were down 2-0 early in the game, coming back 2-2, even taking a 3-2 lead. Down 4-3 and tying it at four… I love that we were resilient,” said Roy. “It shows a lot from our group. It’s not easy to come back. I think the guys are giving me everything they have.”
They could've quit on the season and didn't, so they deserve credit. Yet, that doesn't make up for the season's shortcomings, and if the players, coaches, and management keep relying on their resilience, it can't be used as a reason to overlook what is inherently wrong with the roster. The bad continues to outweigh the good this season, leading to mediocre at best results.
