Islanders Mailbag: No Longer Control Own Destiny

With back-to-back point-less performances, the New York Islanders no longer control their own destiny with four games to play.

With the New York Islanders dropping both games of their back-to-back, going pointless against the Tampa Bay Lightning in a 5-0 loss followed by a 2-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes, they are no longer in control of their own destiny.

The Islanders have 87 points with four games remaining, while the Pittsburgh Penguins have 86 with five games left, and the Florida Panthers have 85 points with five games to go.

If Pittsburgh and Florida win out, the Islanders will miss the playoffs, even if they win out themselves.

The Islanders now have three days to regroup and get healthy before they host the Lightning on Thursday night. 

Let's get to your questions and comments:

They need three wins in the final 4. (@johngeran2)

The Islanders kind of have no choice, right? 

The positive for New York is that three of their final four games are against teams on the outside looking in, but as we have seen this season, playing the "weaker" teams isn't a guaranteed two points.

After playing the Lightning Thursday, which will be a tough matchup (we will see if Tampa rests players), the Islanders finish their season with games against the Philadelphia Flyers, Washington Capitals, and Montreal Canadiens. 

If you aren't going to beat the good teams, you best be beating the bad teams if you want to get into the postseason. 

You need to score goals, and nobody on this team other than Engvall and Palmieri seems particularly interested in doing that. (@ian_10_19)

Yeah, scoring goals is a need to win games. The Islanders have just one over their last two games, and the only line that's been earning consistent offensive opportunities has been the threesome of Pierre Engvall, Brock Nelson, and Kyle Palmieri. 

Over these last two games, Engvall has an assist and four total shots. Palmieri has no points but six total shots. 

Despite their interest, they haven't buried either, but they seem to be getting all the grade-A chances. 

Why didn't we keep Durandeau up? (@nystevo_)

That's a good question. Although Arnaud Durandeau didn't score in his four-game stint with New York, he did show off his strong defensive play, which has become common for Islanders' call-ups this season. 

The biggest standout was his active stick and positioning in the neutral zone. 

Right now, against the faster, strong teams, the Islanders need some responsible speed in their lineup.

It's also hard to say, "well, Durandeau didn't score," to explain why he is no longer up with the club, as the Islanders have scored just two goals over their last three games. 

Any idea how Lane is in the room? His post-game interviews, hes so soft-spoken. I'm curious if this guy has ever got super emotional in the room. (@philjewell_81)

We only see one side of Lane Lambert, just like you guys. He is pretty closed off when the cameras are on and doesn't provide much detail by design. But you can see he gets pretty emotional on the bench during the games, negative emotions as of late.

The players say he is a rather emotional guy in the room.

"He's an emotional guy, for sure. And passionate and wants to win and wants us to be successful. And I think we feel that in him and see that in him," Matt Martin said ahead of the Islanders' game against the Capitals.

If you want to be a playoff team, you have to play well against teams that will be in the playoffs. (@CtrlMattgic)

That's a fact. If the Islanders make the playoffs, they will have to battle against these two teams anyway if they go on a run. 

The Islanders have gone win-less against the Lightning this season in two meetings, being outscored 10-3. They have just one win in four meetings with the Hurricanes, being outscored 12-9. 

These last two games did show the gap between the Islanders and true Stanley Cup contenders, talent-wise, but this Islanders team has never had the star power that these two teams and the other elite teams in the league have. 

If the defense, the Islanders' bread, and butter, is going to be as leaky as it was this past weekend, they are in deep trouble. 

Will Sorokin extend his contract if isles can't make it to playoffs again? I know you don't have the answer, but that's what I've been thinking. (@stlnostalgia)

I'm no fortune teller, but I don't see Ilya Sorokin leaving. If they miss the playoffs, it wouldn't be on him. He's the only reason they are in a playoff spot, to begin with.

I don't see him jumping ship, not extending because of that. 

Henrik Lundqvist was left out to dry throughout his entire Rangers career and never once thought about leaving. I think that's a bit of an overreaction. 

However, when he and his agent Daniel Milstein speak to general manager Lou Lamoriello about an extension, Sorokin should bring a significant number to the table because he deserves it.

The New Jersey game should have been the blueprint of how they need to play. (@DM_8080)

The game against the New Jersey Devils a few games back, a 5-1 win, is precisely how the Islanders have to play. They were hard on the forecheck from the get-go, one of the best ways to limit the opponent's speed. They capitalized on their chances and were physical.

We saw that against the Washington Capitals in the 2-1 shootout win and early in their game against the Lightning before they fell apart in the 5-0 loss.

That type of game wasn't on display at all in the 2-1 loss to the Hurricanes Sunday night as despite scoring first, they were dominated from opening puck drop and were fortunate to still have a chance to earn a point--which they ultimately did not. 

Those losses to Columbus and Buffalo are our undoing..... (@BarclayPeltier)

In the 5-4 overtime loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets, the Islanders fell apart in the second period, losing to the worst team in the NHL. They did get a point, but we are seeing right now just how crucial those dropped points are. 

Against the Buffalo Sabres, a 2-0 loss a day later, the Islanders just didn't have much as they were dominated by a team still in the playoff race. 

Throw in the two losses to the Arizona Coyotes this season--with another handful of points left on the table--and that's why the Islanders aren't in a safer spot.