Islanders hope for carryover effect from solid win over Canucks when they face Oilers

A five-goal first period leading to a 6-3 victory over the Canucks surely was good for the Islanders’ spirits.

They’ll feel even better if they can maintain some of that traction in their upcoming games, a consistency that’s been quite elusive through this rocky season.

The Islanders (17-17-6) will continue a four-game road trip with back-to-back games against the Oilers and Flames starting Friday night in Edmonton. The post-All-Star break trek started with the Islanders matching their season high for goals against Vancouver on Wednesday night.

"It’s just massive," Mathew Barzal said of the need to follow one good game with another. "We know where we’re at in the standings. We know what we have to get done. We just have to make a heavy push here. You don’t want to dig that hole any deeper. It’s a big win for us and hopefully we can gain some traction and get a couple of wins."

Wednesday night’s win brought the Islanders within 15 points of the Eastern Conference’s final playoff spot, and they’ll conclude their first half of the schedule against Edmonton.

The Oilers also have struggled despite having Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, two of the NHL’s most dynamic offensive playmakers. Back-to-back home losses to Vegas and Chicago coming out of the All-Star break cost coach Dave Tippett his job on Thursday. Jay Woodcroft was promoted from the Oilers’ AHL affiliate in Bakersfield and will make his debut against the Islanders.

"I don’t know how the Edmonton game is going to play out," coach Barry Trotz said after Wednesday’s win. "You can’t expect us to score five goals every game and be up on a team like that. Every game has its own map, its own set of circumstances that can change. We’ve got to be flexible enough and resilient enough to roll with the punches when they come at us, take advantage of situations and be consistent.

"If you go, ‘Every game is going to be like tonight,’ it’s not, and that will be a frustrating way to live for us as a group. So just take the new challenge. We’re going to Edmonton. They’ve got some dynamic people. We’re going to have to play a really good game."

Trotz shook up his lines against the Canucks after the Islanders went into the All-Star break with a no-show 3-0 loss to the expansion Seattle Kraken at UBS Arena. Bottom-six forwards Cal Clutterbuck and Ross Johnston were inserted into the top six with good results, at least for one game.

But the Islanders, who did not practice on Thursday as they traveled to Edmonton, also expect to have Kyle Palmieri available against the Oilers. Palmieri, who has been used in a top-six role despite having only one goal and six assists, missed the win over the Canucks as his wife gave birth to their first child.

Saturday’s game at Calgary is a rematch of the first game at UBS Arena. The Flames spoiled the building’s debut with a 5-2 win on Nov. 20.

By Andrew Gross

andrew.gross@newsday.comAGrossNewsday

Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.