Barry Trotz's '18-wheeler' Islanders geared up for playoff push after 10-day layoff

By hockey standards, not playing a game for 10 days is an eternity in the middle of a season.

Yet when the Islanders finally returned to the ice on Thursday night against the Sabres at UBS Arena, they knew they couldn’t afford to have their game slip any further and still have a chance at a fourth straight playoff berth.

"It’s getting late early," coach Barry Trotz said. "We’ve only played 26 games, but we understand where we are. But we have to take it one game at a time. That’s the new reality. We don’t know what our lineup is going to be from day to day."

The Islanders entered Thursday’s game in last place in the eight-team Metropolitan Division, 11 points out of a wild-card spot but tied with the Bruins for having played the fewest games in the NHL.

They had not played since a 4-3 shootout loss to Vegas at UBS Arena on Dec. 19. There was the NHL’s scheduled holiday break but also four more postponements; the Islanders had home games against the Canadiens on Dec. 20, the Capitals on Dec. 23 and Wednesday night against the Red Wings, plus a scheduled game at Buffalo on Monday night, called off because of the leaguewide COVID-19 outbreak.

In all, the Islanders have had six games postponed since Nov. 28. Most are expected to be made up in February during the three-week window originally set aside for an Olympic break.

Still, Trotz is optimistic that the Islanders, if healthy, can mount a long-shot playoff push.

"What I like about this group, we’re sort of like an 18-wheeler," Trotz said. "When we start to be moving in the right direction, we’re hard to stop just because we get all four lines playing the way they’re capable of, being consistent in our decision-making and our commitment, and getting good goaltending. All the aspects of the game. And we usually have some sustained success.

"You don’t have to go on a 10-game run. Just be consistent and play well and you’ll get your points. You just don’t know what’s going to happen to other teams: injuries, COVID, bad play, whatever."

But Trotz also knows the schedule could be challenging.

"The one thing that is a little bit of a concern — and it may get straightened out with some of the rescheduling of the games — just because we’ve played less games than other teams, we’ve got to make good on it," Trotz said. "We could end up with a week where we’re playing five games in seven nights. And that takes its toll. Hopefully the schedule-maker can find enough dates to spread it out."

The Islanders will have to find plenty of points in their final 56 games to have a chance at the playoffs. In 2018-19, the last season in which the NHL managed a full 82-game schedule, it took at least 98 points to qualify for the playoffs in the Eastern Conference.

That would mean the Islanders earning another 76 points.

"I don’t know if it’s now or never," Ross Johnston said. "But I think this team is ready to take the next step. I think the last few weeks, we’ve been playing good hockey. We’ve been getting mixed results, but I think we’ve been playing the right way."

The Islanders entered Thursday 3-2-4 since Dec. 2 after losing eight in a row.

Being able to win in overtime or shootouts is one of the corrections the Islanders must make to have a chance at a playoff push. They entered Thursday 0-6 when playing past regulation, with three losses each in overtime and shootouts.

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.