Schwartz: As Islanders battle for playoff spot, they are playoff battle tested

Many of the current Islanders players know what it's like, not only to make the playoffs, but also what it takes to win playoff games. It's that experience of playing meaningful games at this time of season and playing 55 playoff games since 2019.

Thanks to a four-game winning streak, the Islanders head into Tuesday night's game with the Rangers at UBS Arena in a playoff spot as they hold down third place in the Metropolitan Division with 85 points. The Islanders are also in contention for the second Eastern Conference Wild Card spot and that could mean a first-round matchup against the Rangers and the first postseason "Battle of New York" since 1994.

With five games to go, the Islanders can smell another trip to the playoffs but they still have to, in the words of new WWE Champion Cody Rhodes, finish their story.

"The job is not done," said Islanders Captain Anders Lee. We got work to do here with a big week in front of us but I think our foundation of who we are is what has pulled us back."

It's been an up and down season for the Islanders who not long ago followed up a six-game winning streak with a six-game losing streak. But the other teams competing for those two playoff spots didn't put the Islanders away and they have responded by getting off the canvas and putting themselves back in a position to make the playoffs.

It's been a very weird season in Islanders Country.

"There sure has been a lot of emotions this year with ups and downs and a real roller coaster ride," said Islanders forward Matt Martin. "Generally, we've been good in these situations in the past. We always find ourselves in a tight race down the stretch to get in so I think we have some experience in these situations and we've played some good hockey to get ourselves where we're at now."

For Islanders fans, this playoff push is nothing new.

In 2020, the Islanders were struggling when the COVID-19 pandemic put an end to the NHL regular season with the Islanders on the outside looking in when it came to a playoff spot. But the expanded playoffs in the bubble put the Islanders into a qualifying round matchup with the Panthers that they won on their way to an Eastern Conference Final loss to the Lightning.

The following year, because of the ongoing pandemic, the NHL went with a revised divisional setup and the Islanders squeaked into the playoffs before going on another run to the NHL's Final Four and another loss to Tampa Bay.

After not making the playoffs in 2022, the Islanders needed another late-season charge to make their way into the 2023 postseason and they lost to Carolina in six games.

And this season, the playoffs have started early for the Islanders with another push for the postseason.

"It's just the way it's gone but I think we've done a great job responding the last four games to put together solid hockey," said Lee. "I think that's a characteristic of this group. We came together and we stuck with one another and had each other's backs and everyone has elevated their game."

Even new Head Coach Patrick Roy can appreciate what the Islanders accomplished in recent seasons and how that experience can help them down the stretch this season.

"I'm sure it does," said Roy. "We've been pretty much keel from the get-go.  We haven't tried to change anything or panic. We're going to take it one game at a time and focus on what needs to be done [Tuesday]."

The Islanders have worked hard over the last four games to put themselves in the position they're in right now in a playoff spot and ready to welcome the rival Rangers to Long Island on Tuesday night. They're feeling pretty good about themselves right now and that was on display with an upbeat and jovial Islanders practice on Monday at Northwell Health Ice Center in Eisenhower Park.

But there's still a long way to go with five huge games that will determine their playoff fate.

"We're excited but it's still so tight that if we don't come ready to play every night, we're going to be on the outside looking in again," said Martin. "We've done a good job to be able to control our destiny but now we just gotta take care of business until the end."

That business starts with trying to figure out how to beat the Rangers, something the Islanders were not able to do in two prior meetings this season.