The Islanders are turning a corner after a rough start to the season. They have the talent to make a run — the team made the final four each of the last two years — but can they put it all together and make a push towards the postseason? First, they have to put their early-season adversity behind them.

They started the year going 5-6-2 on a arduous 13-game road trip. However, when they arrived home, the team was hit with a COVID-19 outbreak that decimated the roster, taking upwards of eight players out of the lineup. With a depleted lineup, the team struggled, getting outscored 32-7 during an eight-game regulation losing streak.

Although the Islanders lost 11 straight games before they finally got a win, their last three losses were after regulation, so the Islanders did get the point in each of those contests. They slowly started to improve their play as players got healthy, and this continued into December.

Their record is up to 10-12-6, and they have games in hand over most of the teams ahead of them in the NHL standings.

On top of the Islanders improvement, their schedule after they return from their latest COVID-19 pause is relatively easy. The Islanders will play the New Jersey Devils, the Philadelphia Flyers (three times), Arizona Coyotes, Los Angeles Kings and Seattle Kraken — all of these games are in January.

If the Islanders win these contests, that should propel the team into a playoff race — and they could go on a run in the second half of the season. They have done it before, so they can certainly do it again.

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.