The possibility of a regularly scheduled start to the 2020-21 NHL season has been out of the question for a long time. Ever since the Islanders were knocked out of the Eastern Conference Finals, fans have been wondering when they would get a chance to see their beloved team hit the ice once again. This past week, the NHL announced that the opening night of the 2020-21 season will be on January 13th. The league had no choice but to cut back the number of games that will be played. As a result, the Islanders will play in a 56 game season, solely against the new-look division opponents. However, this will not be the first time the Islanders have had to compete in a schedule with a limited number of games. Let’s take a look back at how the blue and orange have fared in previous attempts at playing in abnormally short seasons.

2012-2013

Besides the obvious COVID-19 suspension in last year’s season, the Islanders have been forced to play less than 82 games in one other circumstance over the past decade. Back in the 2012-2013 NHL season, the league began play on January 19, 2013, due to labor disputes between players and owners. The Islanders would play a tough 48-game schedule consisting of five games apiece against the Devils and Penguins (whom they would eventually play a few more times), and four games apiece against the Flyers and the Rangers.

Looking to qualify for their first postseason since 2007, they were led in goals and assists by ex-captain John Tavares and Matt Moulson, respectively. Their longest winning streak was three games, occurring on three separate occasions, while their longest losing streak was five games. The Islanders underwent three shootout losses in their final four regular-season games, leaving them with an even 24 wins and 24 losses, with seven of those losses coming after the 60-minute mark.

A Postseason Appearance

Sure enough, the Islanders’ 55 points were enough to sneak them into the playoffs as the eighth seed, giving them a date against the number-one seed Pittsburgh Penguins (the NHL did not implement the new playoff format until one year later). In Game 1 the Isles got pummeled 5-0, truly looking a team that had not been to the postseason in six years. They went on to win Game 2 at the Consol Energy Center, and lose Game 3 on Coliseum ice. Not only did they even up the series at two after an emphatic game-clinching goal by Casey Cizikas in Game 4, but it marked their first home playoff win since 2002. The Isles’ luck would soon run out, getting eliminated in Game 6 when Penguins defenseman Brooks Orpik beat Evgeni Nabokov with a slapshot in overtime.

1994-1995

The mid-’90s was a glum period for the Islanders, to say the least. After being swept 4-0 in the first round of the ‘94 playoffs by the Rangers, who would go on to win the Stanley Cup, the Isles would finish in last place in the Atlantic Division for three straight seasons. The first of these horrific campaigns came in 1994-1995 when the Isles played a 48-game season due to disagreements between owners and players.

The last time New York had the same number of points as the number of games played came on February 28, 1995, after a 2-1 victory against Montreal prompted them to 8-8-3. From there on, they would go a dreadful 7-19-2 in their remaining 28 games leaving them with just 35 points on the season. All three goaltenders, Tommy Soderstrom, Jamie McLennan, and Tommy Salo finished with a GAA of over 3.00, and the team finished well below the league average of 143 total goals on the season.

Potential for Future Success

While the Islanders have only had to start a season mid-January twice in their existence, both circumstances went in completely opposite directions. The dreadful season of 1994-1995 occurred one year after a playoff appearance, but it wound up sparking a streak of six straight seasons without a trip to the postseason. Inversely, in 2013 they made the playoffs after coming up short in the five seasons prior. While the shortened season of 2012-2013 proved to be a success for the Islanders, they certainly have the potential to blow that campaign out of the water in 2021. The Islanders will strive to carry over their momentum from last September and go on another postseason run, albeit in a shortened 56 game season.

John Smark