This season has certainly been up and down for the Islanders. They still are still near the top of the NHL in point percentage, but have been inconsistent at best the last couple months. No game in the NHL is easy, but the Islanders schedule is lightening up.

They have 17 games left on their schedule. Seven of the games they play are currently against teams in playoff position, while the other 10 are against those teams who are currently out of the playoffs.

This is obviously subject to change, especially with teams such as Carolina popping up twice, but as a general rule, their schedule is softer than it was in months like January and February, which was tough game after tough game.

The New York Islanders can finish anywhere from first to seventh in the Metropolitan Division, as it is extremely tightly contested so the Islanders have to make these winnable games count. At this point, they can not surrender any points that they can possibly grab.

There are a couple pockets in this 17-game stretch the rest of the season that are particularly tough. They still play Carolina twice, who the Islanders have lost seven straight to between regular season and playoffs. However, with Carolina’s tough goaltending situation, the Islanders need to grab at least one victory against their division foes.

Between March 10-13, the Islanders have three games in Western Canada. Vancouver, Edmonton and Calgary are all competitive teams that hold a playoff spot in the Western conference. The Islanders have been a disaster in the West this year, not winning a single game in the California road trip or the Rocky Mountain road trip. In their last five Western road games, the Islanders are 0-4-1 and have only scored four goals. They must pull it together for this road trip and grab at least three points.

Other than that, the schedule holds a lot of winnable games. Considering how competitive the NHL truly is, anything can happen any night, but one would expect the Islanders to win most of these games. After Saturday’s loss to Boston, they host a decent Montreal team at home before going on the road to Ottawa, where Jean-Gabriel Pageau will make his short-waited return.

However, in the last six games on the Islanders schedule, the team needs four or five wins. Other teams like the Rangers and Penguins have a tough final few games, where the Islanders need to collect all the points they can, as they play Buffalo, Montreal, Columbus (who have won 1 in their last 9), Minnesota, Chicago and New Jersey. They absolutely have to end the regular season on a positive note, on their push to finish in the top-three in the Metro.

With this, the fans should expect a strong finish to what has been a roller coaster of a season. Again, no hockey game is easy but the Islanders should be cashing in on a lot of opportunities presented to them this next month.

John Smark