A lot’s changed since the last time the New York Islanders played the Carolina Hurricanes.

It was the opening night of the regular season in Raleigh, North Carolina. Analysts were sure the Islanders were going to be a playoff team 81 games later.

There was no reason for concern. The team was coming off a solid preseason months after coming within a goal of the Stanley Cup Final.

The roster changes seemed benign. Kyle Palmieri finished the preseason with three assists in four games. Both Zdeno Chara and Erik Gustafsson seemed like serviceable replacements for Nick Leddy. Noah Dobson was already showing signs of progress, as were young forwards Kieffer Bellows and Oliver Wahlstrom.

Perhaps the only two concerns heading into the season were Matt Martin, and more importantly Semyon Varlamov. Both were dealing with injuries that carried over from the summer. Cory Schneider started the season backing up Ilya Sorokin and Ross Johnston slotted into Martin’s fourth-line role.

Those would be the least of the Isles’ concerns this season. Even more long-term injuries, multiple COVID-19 outbreaks and long road trips threw this season off the rails.

The only Islander to play in every game this season has been Zach Parise. Four key Islanders skaters missed significant time. Adam Pelech missed four important games, Brock Nelson and Mat Barzal each missed nine and Ryan Pulock missed 25. In goal, Varlamov didn’t make his first start until the 10th game of the season against the Minnesota Wild. He didn’t win a game until Dec. 16 against the Boston Bruins.

The schedule was wildly inconsistent too. Between Dec. 20 and Jan. 12, the Islanders played only two games. The team’s first 13 games were spread out due to the team’s season-opening road trip while construction was concluding at UBS Arena. Now, with 13 games and under a month left until the clock strikes midnight on the regular season, it’s nearly impossible to make up all the lost ground.

The Islanders lost their first game of the season to the Hurricanes 6-3. Despite blowing an early lead, and losing grip of a 2-2 tie, nobody was concerned.

Head coach Barry Trotz was taking away positives from the loss.

“I thought our first period was pretty good,” Trotz said. “They were on their toes. They’re a quick-start team. I thought we handled that pretty well.”

Hurricanes’ coach Rod Brind’Amour also thought the Islanders played well.

“Both teams played really well, I thought,” Brind’Amour said. “They would probably say they gave up too much, and I thought we gave up a little too much, but it was an exciting game.”

As the last glimmer of hope starts to fade from the Islanders’ season, maybe it’s time we start focusing on the positives too. The Islanders played incredibly well since the All-Star break. They had a 10-6-1 record in March, which was their best monthly record in terms of points percentage. That’s impressive considering they broke a franchise record, playing 17 games in a single month.

Whether or not they pull off the impossible and pass the Washington Capitals for the final wild-card spot, there’s plenty to be proud of despite a disappointing season. Expect a good game tonight.

Ben Baruch

Born and raised on Long Island. Isles fan since 2009. Studying journalism at the University of Maryland, College Park.