The Islanders pictured the 2021-22 season beginning with the opening of their $1.1 billion enviornment and ending with a parade down Hempstead Turnpike. After two straight years of being inside arm’s size of a Stanley Cup Last, this felt prefer it may very well be the end result.
As a substitute, they limped into the All-Star break with a 16-17-6 report following a demoralizing 3-0 loss at dwelling to the Kraken, after which head coach Barry Trotz ripped his crew’s effort.
With out an unbelievable second-half run, the Islanders probably will probably be watching the postseason from their couches, lamenting a misplaced season.
“We simply gotta reset right here,” Brock Nelson mentioned following the loss to Seattle.
First on the record: Discovering a constant option to rating. The Islanders should not a crew set as much as win video games with offense, however that doesn’t excuse an output that ranks thirtieth within the league.
The primary line of Anders Lee, Mathew Barzal and Josh Bailey is the one ahead group that has scored greater than 10 objectives, and even there, the lack of Jordan Eberle has hit exhausting. Bailey has produced and created probabilities, with 17 assists, however three objectives in 34 video games received’t do from a top-six winger who will get power-play minutes.
Kyle Palmieri, who scored one aim with six assists in 29 video games, has been a serious disappointment — and a serious subject. The Islanders gave Palmieri a four-year deal at $5 million (annual common worth) final offseason.
“He’s a high six ahead for us,” Trotz mentioned final week.
However he hasn’t produced prefer it.
On the again finish, the lack of Nick Leddy in the course of the offseason has hit tougher than anticipated. Traded for salary-cap causes, Leddy was a robust offensive presence who may get the puck up the ice, qualities the Islanders have sorely missed from their defensemen. Noah Dobson’s steps ahead in that division rely as what could be the largest optimistic in the course of the first half of the Islanders’ season, and Ryan Pulock’s return from damage will assist, too. Nevertheless it’s unclear whether or not that may mix to be sufficient to beat their issues.
Additionally complicating issues is that, upon returning to play, the Islanders can have simply two dwelling video games for the remainder of February. Following a 13-game street journey to start out the season, the Islanders didn't take full benefit of a two-month stretch during which they barely left Lengthy Island, going 9-10-3 at UBS Area towards a comparatively mushy schedule.
With two western journeys on faucet, issues are about to get a lot more durable. 9 of their subsequent 11 video games will probably be on the street, and 5 of these video games will probably be towards playoff groups.
The Islanders’ playoff odds are low sufficient — between 4 and 11 p.c, relying which public mannequin you take a look at — that they will’t afford to proceed hovering round .500. Such a consequence, or worse, would all however formally finish their already-slim playoff hopes, and probably immediate common supervisor Lou Lamoriello to be a vendor on the commerce deadline.
If their effort over the past couple of weeks — once they misplaced 4 of six, together with what Nelson known as a “must-win” towards Seattle — is any indication, then it’s a hefty ask to keep away from such a situation.
“We’re going to want extra,” an indignant Trotz mentioned Wednesday evening. “We’re happening the street, taking part in good groups. We’ve gotta put in a greater effort.”
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