From the moment that the Islanders joined the National Hockey League in 1972, there’s always been an excitement when the schedule comes out and the dates of the games against the Rangers could be circled. There’s always so much buzz and anticipation when the two rivals square off on the ice, and it really doesn’t matter if both teams are good, one team is good, or if neither team is good. It’s one of the greatest rivalries in sports and the games are generally must-see television or one of the hottest tickets in town.
With the Islanders opening up UBS Arena this season, there was a lot of anticipation for Wednesday night’s game against the Rangers, because it’s the first trip to the new building for the Blueshirts and any of their fans who were able to get their hands on tickets. But this particular meeting now has a bit of a cloud over it because of the COVID-19 outbreak that has hit the Islanders.
As of the writing of this article, the game is still on despite the fact that the Islanders currently have seven players in COVID-19 protocol, but that could change if more Islanders test positive on Wednesday morning.
“We’re preparing to play unless we hear otherwise,” said Islanders President and General Manager Lou Lamoriello during a Zoom meeting with reporters on Tuesday.
Defenseman Zdeno Chara was added to the Islanders’ protocol list, one that already has sidelined Josh Bailey, Anders Lee, Ross Johnston, Adam Pelech, Kieffer Bellows, and Andy Greene. None of those players are going to be able to return for Wednesday’s game, but the good news is that Bailey will be returning this weekend from Florida, where he has been in quarantine since testing positive at the tail end of the Islanders’ season-opening road trip.
Also, Brock Nelson was added to the injured list on Tuesday, and will miss two to four weeks with a lower body injury that he suffered during Sunday’s 3-0 loss to Toronto. In need of more reinforcements, the Islanders have summoned forward Anatolii Golyshev and defenseman Thomas Hickey from their AHL team in Bridgeport, adding them to a list of players already called up that includes Robin Salo, Grant Hutton, and Richard Panik.
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As they try to find a way to but the brakes on their six-game losing streak, all the Islanders can do is play with the hand that they’ve been dealt.
“We’ll continue to do what we have control of,” said Lamoriello. “You can’t deal with things that are out of your hands. Certainly, these are difficult times, but we will stay focused on the players we have, what our abilities are to replace players if necessary and just stay as positive as we possibly can.”
The Islanders are hoping that the call-ups from Bridgeport can help in the short-term, but there is the possibility that, at some point, the team will have to look outside the organization to get some help. Lamoriello is certainly not afraid to swing a deal or two, but he doesn’t want to get taken to the cleaners knowing that this could be just a temporary situation that the Islanders have to get through.
“Whatever we could do to get better we would, but we will be getting our players back,” said Lamoriello. “I can assure you that I’ve gotten calls. Many teams want to help us in different ways, but not that could really help us.”
So, as of right now, the 2021-22 battle of New York is scheduled to begin on Wednesday night with the first Islanders/Rangers game ever at UBS Arena. There will be chanting by fans of both teams and there will certainly be a lot of energy in the building. For the Islanders, it doesn’t matter who is wearing the jersey because the bottom line is that it’s a rivalry game and there are two big points on the line.
You’ll need an updated roster to see who will be representing the Islanders on the ice, but it’s still an Islanders/Rangers game…if the game is played.
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