This is the questions Islanders fans have been asking for a year: can the Islanders win the Stanley Cup? The answer is yes and here is what they need to do to make it happen.

Star Players Need To Step Up

When the Islanders played the Penguins in the first round in 2019, Jordan Eberle scored a goal in every game to propel the Islanders to a sweep. The year after that in the 2020 bubble, it was a different player every series that got hot for the Isles.

During the regular season this year, the Islanders seem to have a new goal-scorer every night, and some players aren’t staying hot. If the Islanders make the playoffs this year, they most likely won’t win the Stanley Cup without consistent goal-scoring. Players like Mat Barzal, Brock Nelson, Jean-Gabriel Pageau and more need to be on their game and consistently score in the playoffs if New York wants to win a Stanley Cup.

Palmieri and Zajac Need To Adjust

The Islanders are trained like defensive robots. The way the Islanders play is identical game after game. It is very hard for new players to adapt to the Islanders’ game style. Although Kyle Palmieri and Travis Zajac have done a wonderful job adjusting, they need to be perfect when the playoffs hit. They need to see situations before they occur. This is crucial, as everyone must be on the same page in mid-May.

Islanders Need To Finish Season Strong

The Islanders don’t need to take first place and destroy every team, but they need to finish strong. It would really hurt the team to lose momentum and finish in the fourth spot.

In 2019, the Blues won the Stanley Cup because they were on fire at the end of the regular season. A lot of Cup runs happen because teams just get hot. The Islanders are playing great but if they go on another point streak and get hot before the end of the regular season, that can boost them to their fifth Stanley Cup.

More Capacity at Home

In 2019, the Islanders swept the Penguins after winning two home games at the Nassau Coliseum. They lost in the second round in a sweep after playing at Barclays Center. The Coliseum is one of the hardest buildings to play in.

Now that this could be the last playoffs ever at Nassau, fans will want to break the roof of that place. With a projected 25% capacity once the postseason is here, Islanders fans need to make every voice heard.

A New Leader Must Rise Up

With the absence of Islanders captain Anders Lee, more people need to step up and take leadership. Travis Zajac was the alternate captain for the New Jersey Devils and has Stanley Cup Final experience. He needs to step up with players like Cal Clutterbuck, Nick Leddy and even Barzal. I know Barzal is young and still learning but he has the skill to become a leader. Barzal could be more of a leader on the ice rather then off the ice. The Islanders need that spark that Lee gave them in the bubble.

Put Every Game Behind Them

The Islanders have a talent that they must continue in the playoffs if they make it: put every game behind the, no matter what the outcome was. Never relax even after a huge win. Always look towards getting the next job done because its not over until someone lifts the Cup.

Can We Expect A Cup Run

If the Islanders do everything mentioned above and even more, you can expect a Stanley Cup parade down Hempstead Turnpike. This is the best Islanders team we have seen since the 1980s. An Islanders Stanley Cup is possible.

John Smark