My Three Favorite New York Islanders Games This Past Season

The New York Islanders lockers have been cleaned out, the players have completed their post-season interviews and management is huddling over ways and means to improve the for next season. For The Maven, this is a time to exhale and reminisce about the happy times of the season gone by.

The lockers have been cleaned out, the players have completed their post-season interviews, and management is huddling over ways and means to improve the New York Islanders for next season.

For The Maven, this is a time to exhale and reminisce about the happy times of the season gone by. There are many ways to review but, in this case, I have chosen three of my favorite games. See if you remember them; and agree or disagree. (They are listed in chronological order:)

1. A GRATIFYING EARLY SEASON COMEBACK

Under rookie head coach Lane Lambert, certain team traits took time to develop. One that invariably pleased fans was the ability of the team to retrieve a seemingly lost game.

Under the Lambert regime, one of the most telling tests occurred on the night of November 8, 2022. Played at hostile Madison Square Garden, the Islanders fell behind the Rangers, 3-1 by the end of the second period.

A night earlier they had staged a gratifying rally against Calgary but asking for two in a row was a challenge this club welcomed. Sure enough, they scored three straight goals against the Blueshirts and won the contest, 4-3.

Winning a game at The Garden always is gratifying, and this one made every fan of the Blue and Orange smile even more broadly because of back-to-back improbable victories.

2. KEEPING SPIRITS UP AFTER THE BARZAL INJURY

When Mathew Barzal went down with a regular season-ending injury, it was freely predicted that the Islanders playoff fortunes would go down with the clever center.

The game against Pittsburgh on February 20, 2023 was especially meaningful for a couple of reasons. For starters, it already was apparent that the Isles would be battling the Penguins for a playoff berth right down to the wire.

For another thing, this would be the club's first game without Barzal's services.

Already. the critics were writing off Lambert's sextet as a playoff possibility.

Obviously, the Nassaumen felt differently.

"They showed a ton of heart and resiliency against the Penguins," was the way one reporter commented. The Isles won the game although at the time there was no clear indication how the team would hold up minus Mathew.

In the end, the victory was both symbolic and significant since it was the first sign that this group had no intentions of letting the season fall by the wayside.

In fact, wins such as these became pivotal in allowing New York to beat out Pittsburgh in the final week of the campaign.

READ MORE: Dissatisfied Barzal Tired of Islanders Sneaking Into Postseason

3. DEVILISH WIN OVER NEW JERSEY

Throughout the season, skeptics kept expecting the high-flying Devils to do a nosedive and finish near the bottom of the Metropolitan. But, no, nothing of the kind would happen.

New Jersey raced neck and neck with Carolina throughout the campaign and right up until March 27, 2023 when the Isles took on coach Lindy Ruff's firewagon outfit.

For a while it even appeared that the teams might very well meet in the first round of the playoffs. That fact of hockey life meant that the game took on added importance. Also, playing against an elite team gave the Nassaumen even more motivation to prove their worth.

In some ways, the 5-1 Islanders win was a stunner. Before a terrific crowd, they played an outstanding team game. The runaway star was Kyle Palmieri who had returned to the lineup after recovering from injury.

Not only did the Isles pick up a valuable two points but also proved that they could not only compete, but beat one of the best clubs in the circuit.

BONUS POSTSCRIPT: THE GAME THREE PLAYOFF CLASSIC.

The Islanders -- and just about everyone else including the Carolina

Hurricanes -- knew that New York could have won both the first and second games of the opening playoff round.

Suffice to say that Lady Luck was not on the iIles side and we'll leave it at that.

But what Lambert's Lads did not want to do was lose the first playoff game ever played at UBS Center.

That point was made clear from the opening faceoff right down to the final buzzer. The capacity crowd was delirious with joy even before their favorites pulled away from the hard-checking Canes.

The 5-1 decision will be hailed forever not only for its historic significance but also the manner in which the team jelled and went on to glorious victory!