On Thursday, March 25, the Islanders found themselves down early to the Boston Bruins 2-0 in an away matchup at TD Garden in a game that showed the tides are turning. A few years prior and the game could have been a blowout for the Boston Bruins.

However, the Islanders managed to climb back and take the lead with three minutes remaining in the third. Although they let the Bruins tie it up late, they still managed to secure the two points with an overtime win.

This season the Islanders are 5-0 against the Boston Bruins. And this season, the Islanders have scored 18 goals in five games while only allowing eight. That is remarkably impressive.

The Islanders are also known to have struggled against the Bruins in the past. This newfound success is signaling a change of tide in the NHL as one team becomes a contender and another team begins its decline.

Moreover, this 2021 NHL season has cemented the belief that the Islanders are far from a “one-hit wonder” and are, in reality, a legit Stanley Cup contender. The Islanders have been near the top of the standings all year.

This is for a variety of reasons. First, Anthony Beauvillier is starting to heat up. Last summer, during the Islanders’ postseason run in the bubble, Beauvillier recorded 14 points in 22 games.  Beauvillier had a slow start to this season as he got injured early  and most likely returned not yet 100%.

However, he recently has started to become a shell of his former self with back-to-back overtime winners against the Philadelphia Flyers and Boston Bruins. It is starting to look as though he is back to his former self.

Another player who has been lights out for the Islanders has been Oliver Wahlstrom. At only 20-years-old, Wahlstrom has been one of the best rookies in hockey. He has only shown a glimpse this season of what he is capable of at the NHL level, and his play has surpassed Islanders’ fans’ expectations. Oliver Wahlstrom is going to be a future star in this league.

The Islanders are reaping the rewards of an entire team effort each night and have a balanced system, where each player contributes on a nightly basis.

Ethan Halle

Ethan is an Economics Major at the University of Florida looking to pursue a double major in Sports Management with a minor in political science.