Do Not Give Up Hope On The Islanders Season Yet
It is a dark time for Islanders’ fans this season. There has not been this much adversity on the Island in years.
The Islanders are currently last in the Metropolitan Division and just lost Anthony Beauvillier, Brock Nelson, Cal Clutterbuck, Zach Parise and Oliver Wahlstrom to COVID-19 protocol.
With five forwards out, including their leading scorer in Nelson, it is looking very bleak for the Islanders. However, do not give up on the Islanders.
The Islanders are built for the postseason, and still have a chance to win the Stanley Cup. NHL picks still have the Islanders as having a chance to win it all, so Islanders’ fans should not give up, either.
For context, let’s look at a previous example of a team that has been in a similar situation.
The 2018-19 St. Louis Blues have been here before. Entering January, they were last place in the Central Division.
They were going through turmoil on and off the ice. There was even a fight in practice, as teammates Robert Bortuzzo and Zach Sanford dropped the gloves on Dec. 10.
Things were looking extremely bleak for the team, but they got hot at the right time. They went on an incredible winning streak and made the playoffs, and as we know, they won the Stanley Cup, too.
Another team that had a successful season after a rough start was the 2013-14 Rangers. To start the season, they had the longest road trip in franchise history and went 3-6-0. This was caused by Madison Square Garden undergoing a three-year, $1 billion makeover.
The Rangers finished as the Metropolitan Division’s second seed. They won 25 road games in the regular season, setting a then-franchise record. After an amazing postseason run, they returned to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since their championship in the 1993–94 season. However, they lost in the Stanley Cup to the Los Angeles Kings in five games.
As for the Islanders, I cannot guarantee that they will win the Stanley Cup. Nor can I guarantee that they will definitely make the playoffs.
But I can say for sure that it is not impossible. The Islanders, as we have seen in the past few years under Barry Trotz, do not die easily.
This is the team that came back from a 2-1 deficit in their opening two rounds in the 2021 postseason against the Pittsburgh Penguins and Boston Bruins.
This is the team that came back from a 2-0 deficit in Game 6 against the Lightning the same year.
The Islanders will fight hard each game and still have a chance to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Therefore, this fanbase should not give up on the Islanders season just yet.
Hi, my name is Jack Kobil. I am currently attending Woodrow Wilson High School in Washington DC. I am a huge Islanders fan and I love to share my passion for this team.
