Kind of feels like we are right back in March 2020, when they were completely exhausted, and lost (with skills competitions) seven straight. Of course this time New York has been home, have had significant rest time vs most past seasons.
Bottom line the scoring issues that had me calling for a housecleaning early continue to surface, many very ugly wins, many in skills competitions. Clearly Trotz is trying everything, and given the teams record, they had to make the trades they did because they earned that right.
Having written that the trends of struggling on road (especially vs top teams) has lingered during the entire Covid Cup schedule, along with a powerplay that most of the time cannot produce. Varlamov has played well above his career trends, and Sorokin (not counting his last game where he needed to be ready) has played like a franchise goalie.
Soon we get our answers, do they make one of the top four seeds (needing 7-8 points depending on tie-breakers) to elimiate the 5th seed or do they go down in flames and waste the first round pick used in what would be nothing short of a collapse?
On the other end the sunshine keeps being poured on Cuomo/Dolan/Wilpon UBA arena operated by Leiweke, booked by Azoff, while they can't make up their arena opening dates (NHL season expected to begin 10/12) between Oct or Nov, with the nine hundered 24/7 workers promised in October never hired and the building a skelton with a massive fit-out required as a fully lit building with lights on all night sits empty?
Everyone knows where I want them to play and why, the money Belmont future tenants Malkin-Ledecky, have been losing in Nassau at this time must be well north of fifty million, someone's paying them for that, they lost 39 million last year & that was likely much higher. Ledecky should be ashamed of himself posing with Cuomo(no questions unless Dolan friendly media) Newsday.
#NYI #isles Would it shock me if New York finished 5th? Not really, a lot of flaws in this roster, going up to Buffalo who can put up big numbers or play poorly anything can happen, same with Devils here. Likely? No. Possible? Yes. They could also win out, finish first.
— New York Islander Fan Central (@NYIFANCENTRAL) April 25, 2021
The good news:
#NYI #isles The head coach with 874 wins is smarter then the fans. He knows his teams, what he's doing, some games NYI are not going to play well regardless.
— New York Islander Fan Central (@NYIFANCENTRAL) April 25, 2021
Ok, hoping like last year for another trip to Covid Cup playoffs, winning is always good for a franchise, but not very optimistic qualifying or going far. Of course if they can't go 4-0 vs Buffalo/New Jersey they don't deserve a spot or won't have one very long anyway.