📽️ Trotz Media Availability 📽️ pic.twitter.com/MgdEKsxEkk
— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) October 12, 2021
NYIFC Comments:
Just don't see a top cup contender, and a best a fringe playoff contender....Sorry.
We saw a team get older, slower with less scoring depth, that did not win one regulation game during 56 games at Caps, Pens, or Boston, now they have to beat out fast/skilled Canes, Panthers, Tampa. New York finished 4th, they free fell and for a second straight year, almost fell all the way to 5th besides beating one team three times. They lost to Devils/Sabres at end which cost them home ice against Tampa. Despite taking a ton of punches before Pens/Boston wore down, getting outshot 45-19 is not how they won in 2018-19, that was a contending team.
What happened matters, not just in a best of 7 in a tournament bubble after a three month break, then one based on 56 games.
How do they change my mind? Be a top team over 82 games/score goals, Sorokin has to take the next step, squeeze one more year out of Chara/Parise.
In 56 games NYI were dead by the end of January before Buffalo had to shut down, so NY got a big fat reset. This is 82 games, last time we saw that the team free fell by March 2020 when things shut down.
Want the cup like everyone else, but have to be honest. Many only watched playoff games.
Projection: New York is 10th seed/playoff miss. Road trip/scoring issues/faster competition over 82 games too much.
Belmont road trip will be an issue, so will another long trip at the end. Section 315 for Sunday November game vs Leafs had 60 tickets available, so despite improved attendance overall for now, we are seeing people don't want to pay $115.00, and when the novelty wears off, that could be the end. Revenue must pay for the massive expenses in a suburb, that's done nothing but fail financially.