Islanders Can’t Reinvent Wheel With 12 Games Left; Playoff Push Comes Down To Identity
With 12 games left, the Islanders can’t reinvent who they are. As the playoff race tightens, pressure is a privilege — and it’s time to prove they’re enough.
MONTREAL — A wise 18-year-old named Matthew Schaefer once told me that pressure is a privilege.
Pressure is what the New York Islanders face on UBS Arena ice tonight when they welcome the Columbus Blue Jackets to town on the second of a back-to-back after getting dismantled 7-3 by the Montreal Canadiens.
After two straight losses, the Islanders find themselves a point behind the Detroit Red Wings for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
The third-place Blue Jackets, who pushed their point streak to 12 games (7-0-5), are three points up on the Islanders with a game in hand, while the second-place Pittsburgh Penguins are four points up with a game in hand.
Because of how the wild-card race is shaping up, it’s not fair to say that Sunday’s game is a must-win — it’s not, statistically — but a third straight regulation loss would be a tough pill to swallow for a team that, before Thursday, hadn’t been out of a playoff spot since Dec. 4.
“We understand where we’re at,” Islanders defenseman Ryan Pulock said following Saturday’s loss. “It’s tight. We’re obviously fighting for our lives here, but we’re going home. We've got to regroup. We've got to have our minds ready for tomorrow.”
The Islanders' remaining schedule is incredibly home-heavy, with 10 of the next 12 games on home ice. UBS hasn’t been a tremendous advantage for the Islanders this season, with an 8-12-2 record in Elmont. However, they are 7-3-0 in their last 10 games in front of the Blue & Orange faithful.
There’s only one thing that matters going forward — desperation. And the last two opponents have wanted it more — plain and simple.
And listen, the Islanders were right there with Montreal, entering the second period up 2-1 and scoring early in the third to tie the game at 3-3. But Montreal just kept pushing and pushing, and the Islanders could not keep pace.
Head coach Patrick Roy has been preaching boldness all season long, and it’s turned into their identity.
They do need to bear down on their resilient chances. Had they gone up 3-1 in the second period when they outshot Montreal 8-0, they hit two posts to — and we are likely talking about the Islanders returning home 2-1-0 on their final road trip of the season, in a playoff spot.
The Islanders are a team that runs on vibes.
Whether it’s a flawed identity or not, it’s who the Islanders are.
They can’t reinvent the wheel with 12 games to go. They lack the elite goal scorer that many playoff-caliber teams have. They lack production outside of a few players, and that’s forced them to rely heavily on goaltender Ilya Sorokin and rookie Matthew Schaefer.
Speaking of Sorokin, he was pulled after allowing six goals on 32 shots with still time left in regulation on Saturday, so that he could be ready to play against Columbus.
The Islanders have learned a few valuable lessons over the last two games. Taking care of the puck is at the top of the list.
“It’s important for us to regroup and refocus on the things we need to do. And obviously, I mean, you always want to learn from those games,” Roy said. “And I think we know that just because you’re trailing by one goal, it doesn’t mean we need to force plays. We just need to stay calm and play our game. And we’ve done it in the past.”
Roy is right. They have. But, taking a page out of Roy’s playbook, the past is in the past. All that matters is what’s next, and that’s Columbus.
It’s life or death. The defibrillator paddles are out. Maybe UBS Arena can provide the shock needed to save their season.
Sunday is a test. How bad do the Islanders want this? How close is this close-knit group? How important is it to each one of these players to see the season go beyond Apr. 14?
That’s what this comes down to now.
Pressure is a privilege — but only if you embrace it.
The Islanders don’t have time to change who they are — only to prove that who they are is enough.
With 12 games left, that answer starts now.
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