The last time we saw the Islanders play a game, you have to back to February 5th when they defeated the Devils 3-1 in New Jersey, their final game before the Olympic break. Just a mere three weeks later, the Islanders are back in action on Thursday night as they begin their playoff push against the Canadiens in Montreal.
The time off was good, but it’s time to get back to work.
“We’ve had a nice break, but at some point, you want to just play some hockey games,” said Islanders Captain Anders Lee. “We put in some good work the last week and a half. Let’s go play some hockey. It’s going to be fun, challenging and a grind. It’s the best part of the year.”
And for the first overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, it’s a long time coming to get back on the ice.
“It’s awesome,” said Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer. “Going home is a great mental refresh, but I love playing hockey and I love being dialed in and focused. Now we got the final stretch so it’s going to be back in the zone, back in the groove and being with the guys and preparing for this final stretch.”
As the NHL resumes play on Wednesday, the Islanders find themselves in third place in the Metropolitan Division with 69 points, two points back of the second place Pittsburgh Penguins and four points ahead of the fourth place Columbus Blue Jackets.
By NHL rule, the Islanders were able to return to practice last Tuesday. They practiced Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of last week before taking Saturday and Sunday off. This week, the Islanders had Monday’s practice cancelled because of the snow but they were back on the ice Tuesday and Wednesday before heading to Montreal.
The Islanders closed their pre-Olympic schedule with a pair of wins so they are confident they can roll that momentum into the resumption of the schedule.
“I think so,” said Islanders forward Mat Barzal. “We had a good week of practices. We were energetic all week. The guys are hungry and that’s what really matters after the break. The guys are hungry to get back in the playoffs and go on a run.”
With 24 games remaining in the regular season, the Islanders are not just hoping to maintain their playoff position but hope to improve on where they are at the moment. They have the eighth best record in the Eastern Conference, but in just the blink of an eye, they could climb the ladder towards the top.
The Isles are just three points behind both the Canadiens and the Red Wings who each have 72 points and sit in third and fourth place respectively in the East. So, that makes Thursday night’s game in Montreal very important in the standings.
“It’s exciting,” said Islanders forward JG Pageau. “A break is good physically and mentally. We played so many game so many days and now we have the same thing waiting for us. We’re ready for the last push. We have (24) games left so we wanted to finish on a strong note like we did and start the same way against Montreal who his having a great year also so it will be a good challenge right away.”
Thursday night’s game will be extra special for Islanders left wing Emil Heineman who will be making his return to Montreal after he was acquired by the Islanders during the off-season in the Noah Dobson trade. Heineman has been a huge addition for the Islanders with 15 goals and 8 assists for 23 points so far this season.
He is looking forward to his return to the Bell Centre.
“It will be special for sure,” said Heineman. “I’m excited and there will be an extra feeling to get that win. It would be nice. It’s my first time coming back to a former team. It will be fun and I’m looking forward to it.”
And when he arrives at the building for the morning skate Thursday morning and subsequently for the game Thursday night, Heineman will have to make sure he heads towards the visitor’s locker room and not the Canadiens locker room.
“I don’t know,” said Heineman. “I haven’t experienced this before. It will be fun. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous about it but I would say it’s more excitement and it would be nice to get back there and get that win.”
And for all of the players on the Islanders, a trip North to Montreal is always a date that is circled on the calendar.
“Montreal is always special,” said Barzal. “It’s hockey nation. We have some French guys on the team who are excited to get out there. It’s a tough test to start out but it will be good for us.”
It’s the same situation for both teams as it’s the first game back for the Islanders and the Canadiens following a long layoff. It may take a while, but the Islanders will look to keep things simple in the early going and get better as the game evolves.
“We have to find our game (Thursday) night right off the bat,” said Lee. “They’re going to be doing the same thing. Let’s not try to do too much. Let’s work ourselves into the game. We’ll get better as it goes on and build our reps as quickly as we can. Both teams have been off for so long that it might not be pretty early.”
The Islanders have been one of the surprise teams in the NHL this season as they are right in the middle of a playoff race. Every game and every point till the end of the regular season will be crucial so getting off to a good start after the post-Olympic break is the objective Thursday night in Montreal.