After dropping three of their last five games, the Islanders begin a critical five-game road trip on Tuesday night in Boston. It's an excursion that will also take them to Arizona, Las Vegas, Colorado, and Madison Square Garden for a meeting with the Rangers.
It certainly won't be an easy task throughout the trip.
"Tough teams," said Captain Anders Lee. "Tough buildings. There's no easy game on it, but let's start it off right with the mindset of Boston of having a good game, a good 60 minutes and going from there."
Entering play on Monday, the Islanders are 17-12-0, their 34 points good for the first wild card spot in the Eastern Conference with a one-point lead on the Rangers and a two-point edge over the Red Wings and Capitals.
Needless to say, this is a huge road trip for the Islanders.
"We're playing good hockey teams," said Head Coach Lane Lambert. "We know that. Every game is a challenge. I don't think it's any different than it normally is. I also think it's not a bad time to get on the road and play some road games. It's not a bad thing for us."
The Islanders did get some good news on the injury front before the trip, as forwards Anthony Beauvillier (undisclosed) and Kyle Palmieri (upper body) were back on the ice for practice Monday. They will both make the trip and their status for Tuesday night's game with the Bruins is yet to be determined.
Meanwhile, defenseman Adam Pelech (upper body) will not accompany the team to Boston, but the hope is that he can rejoin the team at some point during the road trip.
Beauvillier and the Islanders are looking forward to getting away, and they're ready for what lies ahead.
"It's big," said Beauvillier. "It's always fun to go on a road trip with the boys. We have some tough matchups and it's not going to be an easy one. It's definitely going to be a lot of fun and one we look forward to. It's a big challenge for us trying to come out of that road trip positive."
The road trip starts in Boston against a Bruins team that is at the top of the NHL standings with 45 points, two points better than the Devils – who visit the Rangers Monday night – and is a team that is loaded from top to bottom.
"They have good goaltending," said defenseman Noah Dobson. "They can score and they can defend well. They have a really good power play and they play really good at home. It's going to be a good test for us and we have to be ready."
"We have a great opportunity going into Boston," said Lee. "It's a great team and they're great at home. It's a great challenge but one we're looking forward to stepping up to."
After they face the Bruins, the Islanders will move on to Arizona on Friday night, their first visit to the Coyotes' new home: Mullett Arena, a 5,000-seat facility on the campus of Arizona State University in Tempe.
For NHL players, skating in a small arena like that will bring them back to their younger days.
"I feel like it's going to be kind of cool," said Beauvillier. "Kind of like relieving your junior and college days. I think it's going to be pretty unique and we're looking forward to it."
Despite some recent struggles, the Islanders remain a very upbeat hockey team. We've seen the close-knit chemistry in recent years, and this year's club is no different. Winning certainly makes things a lot easier, but the Islanders certainly still enjoy each other's company when they have to fight their way out of a rough patch.
"We're always having a good time," said Lee. "It's a fun place to come to every day. Obviously after losses and stretches when it's tough, it's not as easy to do that, but we have a good group here. We know what's at stake every night. It's a long year and you're going to have ups and downs."
The Islanders are getting a little healthier as they embark on this road trip, and the hope is that it leads to some more consistency and the chance to rack up some badly needed points away from Long Island, before they return home to UBS Arena to face the Florida Panthers on December 23.
Follow Peter Schwartz on Twitter: @SchwartzSports
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