Islanders running out of time to keep slim playoff hopes alive
Six games ago, the Islanders were feeling pretty good about themselves. They had won three games in a row and were on the cusp of sliding into an Eastern Conference wild card spot. But, six straight losses later, the Islanders now find themselves five points out of a playoff spot with eight games to go.
The clock is ticking and the Islanders are facing the reality of not being part of the NHL’s post-season.
“We have eight games left and there’s sixteen points there for us,” said Islanders defenseman Ryan Pulock following Tuesday night’s 4-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning at UBS Arena. “It’s up to us in here to find a way to go win those games. You can’t win all eight at once but you gotta go find that next one.”
That next one is Friday night when the Minnesota Wild arrive on Long Island. This is a situation that the Islanders have found themselves in before so they are well aware of what lies ahead for them.
But time is running out.
“We’re in the same position we were in last year,” said Islanders forward Bo Horvat. “We’re not doing ourselves any favors by not winning games. In these last eight, we’re going to have to win pretty much all of them in order to give ourselves a chance to get in.”
In each of the last two seasons, the Islanders needed a late push to squeak their way into the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Over the last six games, the Islanders have lot opportunity after opportunity slip away. While they’re still alive, they not only have to make up five points in the standings but they also have to hop over four teams to climb into a playoff spot.
The odds are against them, but the Islanders are holding out hope that they have a run in them.
“It’s going to take everyone in this room to dig in deeper,” said Pulock. “It’s going to take all we have and we have to find a way to get that night in and night out. There’s still belief in here. If we get (Friday’s) game, who knows what could happen?”
A lot can happen in eight games. But, for the moment, the Islanders focus is squarely on Friday night and the task at hand of snapping their losing streak and keeping their slim hopes of a playoff spot alive.
