Islanders learned lesson: They have to work for playoff spot
Islanders center Mathew Barzal celebrates after scoring during the first period of a preseason game against the New York Rangers on Oct. 8, 2022, at UBS Arena. Credit: AP/Mary Altaffer
The Islanders, after an excruciatingly long offseason to think about their playoff miss, enter this season knowing they must earn their success.
“I think last year we kind of thought we’d just magically be in the playoffs and just win hockey games because of where we finished the last couple of years,” Mathew Barzal said after Wednesday’s practice at Northwell Health Ice Center in East Meadow. “So I think this year it’s just about staying present, not thinking that we’ll magically be in the playoffs. We’ve got to work for it. Last year was a bit of a punch in the mouth.
“That’s the feeling in the room.”
The Islanders, with 21 of 23 players returning, open their season against the Panthers on Thursday night at UBS Arena to start a four-game homestand. They finished last season, one in which their schedule and roster were hard hit by COVID-19, 16 points out of the playoffs after advancing to the NHL semifinals the previous two seasons.
The Panthers finished atop the NHL standings last season with 122 points while scoring a league-high 340 goals before the Lightning swept them in the second round.
“We know we lost a lot of key games last year,” Barzal said. “There’s going to be a lot of key games throughout the season we need to win and stay in the running. Those are definitely going to be circled on the calendar.”
The Islanders exited training camp in relatively good health, though right wing Cal Clutterbuck (injured reserve/shoulder soreness) is unlikely to play Thursday.
Mostly, there’s an anxiousness to finally drop the puck after a 4-2-0 preseason.
“Training camp is over and we get to start the season,” new coach Lane Lambert said when asked what excites him about Thursday’s curtain-raiser. “I think everybody is feeling the same way right now. Players are excited to play.”
And while last season was humbling, the Islanders are still confident they will bounce back this season.
“For starters, you look at [Semyon] Varlamov and [Ilya] Sorokin,” Brock Nelson said. “We have two of the best goalies in the league. Guys have been here. We have the camaraderie, the chemistry. I know a lot of people like to talk about the offense but we have a lot of guys in here that know how to score.”
Notes & quotes: Lambert said he anticipates Scott Mayfield being in Thursday’s lineup. The defenseman had been absent because of illness but skated with the team for the second straight day . . . Defenseman Andy Greene signed a one-day contract with the Devils to announce his retirement as a member of that organization. Greene played the final 134 of his 1,057 NHL games with the Islanders, including two goals and eight assists in 69 games last season. “I can’t say enough nice things about the guy,” Anders Lee said. “A great character. He came in and brought a ton of leadership with him. A ton of wisdom. And then, on the ice, he’s just so solid.”
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.
