Contention This Year, Playoffs: TBD

#NYI #isles Most years this would mean no contention for a playoff spot like last season, but here we are after 75 games. In 2002-03 they had 83 points and qualified with ties and won 6 of final 26 games with Snow playing best hockey of his career, sometimes it makes no sense.

— New York Islander Fan Central (@nyifancentral) March 28, 2023

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So many points thrown away against teams on paper they should have beaten.

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#NYI #Isles What's different is last season they could not beat teams over 500. this year they beat the same teams, while it's reversed this year against weaker teams. But after early November last year it was all garbage time.

— New York Islander Fan Central (@nyifancentral) March 28, 2023

#NYI #isles New York will play these seven games so we'll see. History like 1990 & 1994 taught us be careful what you wish for.

— New York Islander Fan Central (@nyifancentral) March 28, 2023

#NYI #isles Reality check: Without Sorokin this is a 14th-15th seed in the east, same as last year when they finished 9th. When you score three goals once in 12/13 games that's what the offense is, even adding Horvat, even when he was with Barzal.

— New York Islander Fan Central (@nyifancentral) March 28, 2023

Bottom Line Nothing's Changed For New York.....

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Had nothing to write in the last eleven days, what's changed? They want from a season high nine over, lost two games they needed to win vs Caps/Kings & then beat awful Ducks, Sharks, in games they had to have. Nothing changed, and despite Florida gaining, many teams in their mix for 1/2 seeds have been struggling along.

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Offensively regardless who comes out/returns the scoring is moderate at best & Horvat looks like another non-scoring forward here while Engvall is out producing him, does it really matter if we are hoping Parise, Palmieri, Pageau, Martin, Cizikas, Clutterbuck can provide offense?

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Same circumstanes, differnt names. Barzal last played in Boston with Horvat, they looked like an AHL team against the Bruins. Feels like 1994 where New York beat out Florida for the last playoff spot but this time without Sorokin they are the 14th-15th seed, while Hextall was the reason they were not a much higher playoff seed, and struggled so badly.

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Hextall was unbeatable or unplayable like many in this forward group as he was in Quebec as what happened after he left NYI. The 1994 forward group with good goaltending would have not crawled to the final playoff spot the last week vs expansion Florida.

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I guess the only true progress is Ron Hextall is sinking the Pittsburgh Penguins like he did the 1994 New York Islanders. I don't know if Sorokin can be re-signed but he has to be and it should be a record contract.

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#NYI #isles So they dropped two games to go back down to seven over (Caps/Kings) then won two games against terrible teams to get back to their season high nine over. This is not a formula for winning the final playoff seed. Without OT every game is a two win swing. 10 or 8 over.

— New York Islander Fan Central (@nyifancentral) March 19, 2023

#NYI #isles People have to accept the fact this is a 14th-15th seed without Sorokin/Dobson/Nelson. They are not here because of Parise, Palmieri, Pageau & many others occasional goals, those players are old, slow, bad in corners, transition, most not physical.

— New York Islander Fan Central (@nyifancentral) March 19, 2023

#NYI #isles Despite Lamoriello quickly rebuilding the defense to be young/fast vs last season this is an offense he signed up long term (not Bailey) that produced three goals once in 12/13 games, that's who this forward group is.

— New York Islander Fan Central (@nyifancentral) March 19, 2023

#NYI #isles Our fans who are not knowledge & bought into false narratives from awful/lazy media based on two Covid tournaments NYI backed into were a cup finalist when they were a team that fell apart in March 2020 to this day. They are not an 82 game playoff team.

— New York Islander Fan Central (@nyifancentral) March 19, 2023

#NYI #isles So here we are with the best goalie in the NHL & the highest expectation is this team matches interim coach Doug Weight's 2016-17 record at 12 over/94 point team that failed to qualify that went on a huge steak at Barclays at the end without Tavares.

— New York Islander Fan Central (@nyifancentral) March 19, 2023

These are New York's Playoffs....

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Despite the historic scoring issues, the injuries, age, declining vets here we are. A season high eight games over with so many games in hand for other teams that could change everything, by context interim coach Doug Weight's late season run got them to 94 points/12 over, one point shy of the final spot. Last year the eight seeds were decided by Christmas. New York was long gone by early November. They have sixteen games, and need 11-5 to reach what used to be the magic number of 96 points for a playoff seed.

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#NYI #isles Sixteen games is a long time, but feels like New York needs eleven wins for what used to be the magic number for 96 points. Today eight over 500. is their highest total of the season.

— New York Islander Fan Central (@nyifancentral) March 8, 2023

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I don't see this as a playoff team because Bailey rebound goals, Cizikas goal, and a Fasching kick/break is not how it's scripted to have sustained winning. Having written that so many veterans not named Nelson, Lee, Horvat are long overdue to produce. Martin had a couple recently, but to pull this off they have to ride Sorokin, and find a way to get those 3-4 goals any way possible. Do I expect that to happen? No. Can it happen in this short time frame? Of course.

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Here they are, the Pens are putting up goals in bunches again but losing some games too, Buffalo can fill the net or have it filled against them, maybe they have one more year to wait, maybe/not same for Ottawa, Florida, (even Wings) not going away, and I expect one more Caps big streak as they had earlier.

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As the song goes, it's up to you, New York, New York. A huge run could even lead to third place.

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New York At The Trade Deadline/No Apparent Transactions

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3pm deadline past, no apparent deals, will post any Lamoriello video if available later.

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Lamoriello a year ago said his players were on notice, he re-signed two of them. Now last month he said the blame for the roster is on him. Simply put it's time for changes. They need players & tons of picks with a very weak prospect system. The defense/Sorokin is not the problem besides him needing a contract before the UFA circus begins.

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#NYI #isles I don't want to hear getting Bailey back is like a trade acquisition today. It's time some guys go elsewhere. Parise, Pageau, Cizikas, Palmieri, Martin, Clutterbuck, Johnston, & Bailey. I'm good with Varlamov & Mayfield being moved today.

— New York Islander Fan Central (@NYIFANCENTRAL) March 3, 2023

New York Signs Tristan Lennox

#Isles News: The New York Islanders announced today that Tristan Lennox has agreed to terms on a three-year, entry-level contract.

— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) March 1, 2023

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I don't see this having any impact on this season even if Varlamov were traded. I believe Jakub Skarek's wants a chance now or he would return to Europe or not sign his his qualifying offer to remain in Bridgeport. Sorkin needs a new contract tn avoid the circus of next season where 31 teams would likely want to sign him, and it's going to cost likley record money & a winning team for his to stay.

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