Weight: Isles 'could be knocking on playoff door'
Photo credit: Getty Images | Islanders captain Doug Weight thinks the team "could really be knocking on the playoff door" if they survive an upcoming four-game road trip.
Doug Weight is not in the lineup, but the Islanders' captain certainly was weighing in on the importance of the team's four-game road trip.
"We know that if we can get through this beginning of December, we got a really nice home stand throughout the holidays,'' Weight said. "We put ourselves in good position, come the New Year we could really be knocking on the playoff door.'' Note the "P'' word.
The Islanders (10-10-7) play at Atlanta Thursday. Tampa Bay, Philadelphia and Toronto will follow. The trip will complete a streak of 14 of 17 on the road. Nine of the next 12 games will be played at Nassau Coliseum.
Weight, who reported good progress in his recovery of an upper body injury, said "I'd love to be looking around Christmas or just after. It is difficult not to be playing. [Being captain] is a great source of responsibility and excitement for me. I talk to the guys often, we talk all the time.''
And his message has been heard loud and clear. "We're going to try and get eight points,'' Kyle Okposo said of the trip. Matt Moulson added, "These next four games are going to be very important. All are conference teams and those points are very important.''
Weight said, "You come from a year like last year and you might find, as crazy as it sounds, taking things for granted and feel comfortable that we're on the way up. What I can tell them is 'Let's do this sooner than later. Let's be in this playoff race. Let's have those games in January and in February with a packed house.' That's an atmosphere we haven't had in a while and I think the guys want that.''
Coach Scott Gordon added some pointed comments of his own on the playoff talk. "Every team should feel that way, you should want that as your goal,'' Gordon said. "Saying it and doing it are two different things. It's one thing to say it, but to go out and do what we did against Philadelphia [2-1 loss] in the third period, go out and shoot ourselves in the foot, that's not doing it. You want to make a statement? Do what you did in the third period against Pittsburgh .''
The trip will not be all work. Many of the players will be accompanied by their dad for the team's annual outing. "This is my first one and it's a great thing,'' Moulson said. "I'm sure my dad will have notes written down on my game.''
Josh Bailey recalled his childhood and the many times his father took him to hockey related activities. "It's like we're dragging them around now,'' he said with a grin. "It's really the opposite side of the fence. We really enjoy bringing them. [but] when game time comes we are all focused and ready to go.''
