The Islanders left a list of milestones on the table with Tuesday night's loss.
If they had won against the Kings, it would have been their first three-game winning streak of the season, the first time the NHL has topped .500 since October 25, and the first time since December that they have more standing points than the Rangers late in the season. . November 2022.
A win would also complete a four-night comeback from last place in the Metropolitan Division to a playoff berth. It's a testament to how close to the bottom of the Eastern Conference they are, but it's still something to celebrate for a club that just went through a hellish November. .
They lost 3-1 to the Kings, and their late comeback attempts fell short, meaning all of that was not possible.
But pushing yourself to the final stages in search of a mental victory is rarely a reason to be optimistic about a loss.
A better reason for Islanders to look to the future and feel good about themselves is the schedule.
Coach Patrick Roy has hinted at changes multiple times over the last month with the Islanders playing 17 games in 33 days, and spoke about the team's terrible start Tuesday night.[We] We had no legs. I'm not looking for an excuse, but the schedule is [been] It's pretty tough. ”
Tuesday happened to be the 33rd day of that period.
The Islanders will only play eight times in 20 days between now and 2025, playing in back-to-backs and three different periods with at least two days off between games.
And to get this started, they get a home-and-home against the Blackhawks, who can legitimately claim to be the worst team in the league.
That doesn't mean the Islanders are looking for four free points (just ask the Rangers), but it does mean they're looking at a very maneuverable range of games that they have to take advantage of. are.
Everything this team has done since November 1st has been downgraded, fair or not, because of injuries.
The Islanders are waiting until Matt Barzal, Anthony Duclair and Adam Pelech return to the team to try to make a jump in the standings.
They've won just 11 of their first 30 games, a record that would sink in any other sport, but an overtime loss (they have a league-leading seven) and a total loss to the East. Couple that with a lack of persuasion and they're at a disadvantage. They head into Thursday's home game just one point away from making the playoffs.
You can look at it any way you like, but the opinions of the people whose opinions matter most, the Islanders themselves, will be on the optimistic side of the equation.
But regardless of whether the trio of injured players return by Jan. 1, it's hard even for true believers to view this as optimistic if the Islanders can't take advantage of a light schedule starting Thursday. Probably. -Sunday's twin bill against Chicago.
Remember, the overtime loss at the United Center was the low point of last season, and Lane Lambert was fired the next day (the writing was left on the wall for several days at that point). ).
Patrick Roy's job is in jeopardy, but another loss there would definitely mean another rock bottom.
The rest of the East teams won't play at the Islanders' pace forever.
They cannot rely solely on the goodwill of their opponents to stay in the race.
By Sunday night, you can start checking off all the milestones you missed on Thursday.
That is our mission.
