If the NHL season were half as long as it is, the New York Islanders would again face the Carolina Hurricanes in a first-round playoff series beginning on the road.
As the team completed game #41 — a cathartic and amusingly satisfying overtime victory over the Toronto Entitled Leafs — they found themselves in third place (48 points) in the Metro, a few points behind the Hurricanes.
It has been a maddening season, but maddening at a more digestible level than the “WTF” of the Capuano/Weigh era. They’ve blown leads (repeatedly), but they’ve also salvaged regulation points from many of those (they’re second in the league in OT games, and they get bonus points for having two of their rare OT wins coming on Long Island against the Leafs, one month apart).
Their PK has been alarming, outside of Simon Holmstrom’s breakout shorthanded sorcery, but their power play has shown some creativity and assertiveness that’s been missing in previous seasons. Last year’s should’ve-been-Vezina-winner Ilya Sorokin has been good but not a world-beater, but that’s partly because the defense in front of him has been so anti-Trotz.
They’ve also had several injuries, though those might’ve forced Lane Lambert & Co. to consider options they should’ve considered before. Injuries to Ryan Pulock (still out) and Adam Pelech (back, but still not his former self) have hurt, while a layoff for Scott Mayfield only underlined that the third-pair guy on a seven-year contract has not been right all year long.
Up front, Matt Martin’s “Eric Boulton has been placed on IR” injury has given Lambert freedom to explore other options on the aging Best Fourth Line in Hockey.
Semyon Varlamov’s repeat injuries are a concern, as twice he has been considered ready only to go back on the shelf. He’s not getting younger. And in some respects, he’s been the better keeper this year.
And finally, Casey Cizikas’ weeks-not-days injury forced the Islanders to use Mat Barzal at center again rather than sell all of us on “hey, Cal Clutterbuck was a center 18 years ago in bantam.”
Barzal responded with four points and the overtime winner against the pompous Leafs and their DOS-fluent former Islanders captain. It was a helluva way to end the first half of the season. It did not answer any season long questions, but it kept us in the game as the team prepares to head out for a tough four-game road trip.
Thus far, Metro rivals like the Devils and Penguins (and I guess I should mention the Flyers, still hanging on) have afforded the Islanders space despite their flaws. Probably shouldn’t count on that to continue for another half-season, but then again Lou Lamoriello has first-round picks to burn for another upgrade that could secure us another first round with the Canes.