Just when you think you have the New York Islanders figured out, they go and shut out the Vegas Golden Knights 4-0 in their own building then notch their first 3-game winning streak of the season by following it up with a come-from-behind win in Utah. Is this where they finally turn their season around? Or will it just be a rare blip of positivity in a season marred by inconsistency and disappointment?
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Good Morning, Islanders Country.
The Islanders are starting to feel it, and it couldn’t come at a better time for Patrick Roy and his team. The teams at the bottom of the Eastern Conference are starting to pick things up, and the Isles have, for the time being, kept pace by earning their first three-game winning streak of the season.
There’s a fine line between success and failure, and there was a fine line between this being a perfect road trip and another frustrating chapter to the season.
The Isles were on the precipice of blowing a 4-2 lead in Boston a week ago, but Ilya Sorokin stood tall in overtime and kicked out a pad save that sent Bo Horvat on a breakaway to avoid the latest disaster. After a resounding win in Vegas, on the short list of their best of the season, they were handed news that Sorokin and Alexander Romanov would miss the game in Utah. Not ideal.
Then trailing 1-0 in the second, Adam Pelech found himself in the right place at the right time to prevent a sure goal from finding the back of the net. If that doesn’t happen, there likely is no third-period comeback, no three-game winning streak, and less feeling of belief heading into the start of a seven-game homestand on Tuesday night against the Ottawa Senators.
It’s the bit of luck that’s been missing this season. They’ve played well enough to stay in games all year but haven’t shown enough consistency or skill to make their own luck often enough. “It’s crunch time really kind of make or break for the team, and it looks like we’re trending upwards,” Mathew Barzal said. “So we're in a tight race, and every night's a big game.”
