The Islanders left a listing of milestones on the desk with their loss on Tuesday evening.
Had they crushed the Kings, it could have been their first three-game successful streak of the season, their first time over NHL .500 since Oct. 25 and their first time with extra standings factors than the Rangers this late within the season since Dec. 11, 2022.
A victory additionally would have accomplished a four-night turnaround from final within the Metropolitan Division to a playoff spot — an illustration of how shut the Jap Convention is towards the underside, however one thing to rejoice for a membership that simply went via a hellish November nonetheless.
The three-1 loss to the Kings, by which a late try at a comeback fell brief, meant none of that got here to move.
However a moral-victory late push is never purpose to be optimistic a couple of loss.
The much better purpose for the Islanders to look forward and be ok with themselves is the schedule.
Coach Patrick Roy has alluded quite a few occasions over the past month-and-change to the Islanders enjoying 17 video games in 33 days, and talking on the staff’s terrible begin Tuesday evening, mentioned, “[We] didn’t have our legs. I’m not looking for excuses, but the schedule’s [been] pretty tough.”
Tuesday, it simply so occurred, was Day 33 of that stretch.
The Islanders play simply eight occasions over the 20 days between now and 2025, with one back-to-back and three totally different stretches with two or extra days off between video games.
And to begin this run, they get a home-and-home with the Blackhawks, who can lay cheap declare to being the worst staff within the league.
That doesn’t imply the Islanders are taking a look at a free 4 factors — simply ask the Rangers — however it does imply that they’re taking a look at a really navigable stretch of video games by which they should take benefit.
The whole lot this staff has carried out since Nov. 1 has been graded, pretty or not, on a curve as a consequence of all of the accidents.
The Islanders have tried to tread water within the standings, ready till Mat Barzal, Anthony Duclair and Adam Pelech get again with the staff.
They’ve received simply 11 out of their first 30 video games, the form of mark that will sink them in another sport, however the mixture of extra time losses (they’ve a league-leading seven) and the East being totally unconvincing implies that they’re only a level out of a playoff spot going into Thursday’s match at house.
You possibly can take a look at that nevertheless you want, however the folks whose opinions matter most — that’s, the Islanders’ personal opinion of themselves — goes to fall on the optimistic facet of the equation.
However whether or not or not that trio of injured gamers are again by Jan. 1, it’s going to be robust for even the truest of believers to take a look at this optimistically if the Islanders can’t take some benefit of the lighter schedule, beginning with the Thursday-Sunday twin invoice in opposition to Chicago.
Keep in mind, it was an extra time loss on the United Middle that marked the low level of final season, with Lane Lambert being fired the subsequent day (although the writing had been on the wall for a number of days by that time).
Patrick Roy’s job shouldn’t be on the road, however one other loss there would indisputably mark one other nadir.
The remainder of the East shouldn’t be going to play on the Islanders’ tempo without end.
They can’t rely solely on the goodwill of their opposition to maintain them within the race.
By Sunday evening, they’ll begin checking off all of the milestones they failed to fulfill Thursday.
That’s the mandate.
