Islanders still searching for answers to explain season-long malaise

These Islanders have gotten used to winning and having a chance in the playoffs, and this season certainly started with Stanley Cup-or-bust expectations after back-to-back berths in the NHL final four.

That, obviously, is not how this season has gone, though. The Islanders are still clinging to the long-shot hope of finally playing consistent hockey and mounting a postseason push, but they entered Thursday night’s home game against the Bruins trailing Boston by 18 points for the Eastern Conference’s final playoff spot.

"It’s tough," defenseman Ryan Pulock said before the game. "Guys know what’s at stake and we know we have to be better. We need to find our game right now to give us a chance. There’s no give-up in this locker room. There’s no quit. Guys are mad at how we’ve been playing and we’re going to dial it in to find a way to take steps in the right direction here."

The Islanders completed a discouraging 1-3-0 road trip with a 6-3 loss in Buffalo on Tuesday night, their third straight defeat and sixth in eight games.

The talk of turning things around has been going on for a while, but the Islanders’ on-ice performances haven’t backed up the words.

And the Islanders aren’t sure why.

"If I knew, I think we would all change it right away," Pulock said. "It’s hard to really answer that other than we need to understand that and understand where we are and find a way within each other, individually and as a group, just to be better and to find a way to put some wins together. Get that confidence up. Confidence comes with winning, and once you can get on a streak, you never know what can happen, and we’ve done that here before."

There certainly are technical reasons why the Islanders aren’t winning consistently. They gave up 17 goals on the four-game trip and coach Barry Trotz hinted he soon might reunite Pulock with Adam Pelech as a top defense pair after separating them only four games into the season.

Puck management has been subpar at times, as has their ability to break out of the defensive zone and transport the puck up ice. Odd-man rushes haven’t produced goals.

The Islanders were 3-16-3 against teams holding a playoff spot while being outscored 71-36 entering Thursday, though they did beat the visiting Bruins, 3-1, on Dec. 16.

And, unlike past seasons, they are not winning the tight games, going 4-5-6 in one-goal games.

That certainly speaks to a low level of confidence among the group.

Which is why Trotz’s role during the rest of this season may be equal parts psychology and coaching — if it wasn’t already through the ups and downs of COVID-19 outbreaks, lengthy road trips and homestands and a bevy of postponements and rescheduled games.

"I think every year you’re always worried about the morale," Trotz said. "They’re professionals. They’re paid well to perform well and I think they’ve got lots of character. It’s been trying this year with all the different things that have hit us. We haven’t been able to get a break. And when we do, we don’t seem to finish the deal. We found ways to not win those real close hockey games.

"We’ve had more frustration than we’ve had in the past. My job is to try to find a way to get any frustration that might be in our team or feeling sorry for ourselves, I’ve got to get that out somehow. If we’re feeling good, I’ve got to stabilize it and figure out a way that we can win those games."

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.