Although the New York Islanders have not clinched a playoff spot with four games to go, being part of a playoff chase is a special opportunity for this group.
Although the New York Islanders have not clinched a playoff spot with four games to go, being part of a playoff chase is a special opportunity for this group.
"I think we've had quite a few guys that have been around and been in pressure situations," Brock Nelson told The Hockey News. "For us, I mean, it's an opportunity. We're trying to get into the playoffs, and we kind of control our own destiny, and if we go out there and take care of our own business, it should work out."
The Islanders are currently holding down the second wild-card spot, but things are incredibly tight, and one flubbed pass or one stellar goal could be the difference-maker in landing one of the final two wild-card spots.
"It's a super competitive group. We care deeply about what we do, how we handle our business, and how we take pride in playing hockey here on the island. So, for us to put ourselves in a position to have this opportunity, it's huge," Islanders captain Anders Lee told THN.
"But now we gotta go take it."
Islanders forward Kyle Palmieri, a six-time playoff attendee, spoke for the group about their situation.
"When you get down to this point of the season, with the race that we're in and how tight it is, you want to go out there and compete for your teammates and with them," Palmieri told THN. "And you got to enjoy it. At the end of the day, it's a pretty special opportunity to be in this situation.
"And we're excited in this room for that opportunity."
No one wants to harp on last season's failures, but having an opportunity to make the postseason after watching on T.V. a year ago is another driving force for this group.
"When you have seasons where you wind down, and there's not a whole lot to play for, it kind of drags out, and it's tough," Palmieri said. "You come to the rink, and you want to get better. You want to be better for your teammates and compete, but sometimes it gets hard, and like I said, this is an awesome opportunity for our group, and we're excited for the challenge.
"It's not going to be easy. No one's going to hand us any of the games, and we're just going to take it game by game and get ourselves ready for tomorrow night."
The Islanders face the Tampa Bay Lightning, Philadelphia Flyers, and Washington Capitals before closing out the regular season at home against the Montreal Canadiens next Wednesday.
The good news for New York is that three of the four games are on UBS Arena ice, in front of their fans.
"You obviously want to take care of business at home. That's a focus each every year, having home ice, feeding off the crowds' energy, comfortable with the sightlines, and different things like that," Nelson said.
"So to be in this spot where we're at, I think the crowd and everyone in this room knows the importance and should be able to feed off one another."
Despite a ton of veterans on the team, there are a few players in the room who have yet to experience an NHL playoff chase.
"It's so fun to be in the playoff race," first-year Islander Hudson Fasching told THN. "I haven't really been in any playoff races, honestly. Arizona and Buffalo haven't been that great the last few years.
"So yeah, it's exciting to be in the mix. And it's a lot of fun."
This is Fasching's first year as an NHL mainstay, as at 27, he's been a force for New York since debuting with the club in early December.
Islanders forward Simon Holmstrom is finishing his first NHL season, playing 46 games for New York.
"It's a lot of fun," Holmstrom said. "It's a great experience as well."
Recent injury call-up Samuel Bolduc also made his NHL debut this season and has played in 13 games between two different stints with the big club.
Drafted in 2019, Bolduc got to experience the Islanders' 2021 playoff run in person as he watched from above at Nassau Coliseum.
In 2020, I was here when they went into playoffs, and it was something really amazing," Bolduc told THN. "I will probably never forget the crowd. We have amazing fans. The hockey, it's pretty, pretty high speed. So, I'm really happy and lucky to be part of this part of the season."
Defenseman Parker Wotherspoon has not played in an NHL game since Jan. 21, as he's served as the seventh defenseman. While he admitted to THN that it's tough not playing, the 25-year-old rookie cares about one thing.
"It's tough not playing, and I want to be in there, but you want to win, so like, as long as we are winning, it's hard to complain," Wotherspoon said.
To have a few teammates from Bridgeport up here with him for the playoff chase, he's enjoyed watching them succeed.
"Yeah, pretty cool. Especially like, I mean, Holmstrom and I used to live together for like four years. So it's been a long ride," Wotherspoon said. "It's pretty cool to see them get an opportunity. It's even better that we're doing well, or they're doing well, and like pushing, being a big part of the team for the playoff run."
For first-year head coach Lane Lambert, he and his team are in a pressured situation, but it's one that you have to enjoy.
"I think it's more fun. I just view it as an opportunity and as excitement," Lambert said. "I mean, it's a long season, it's an 82 game season, and it's coming down to the wire here. And so, what better position to be in right now. Obviously, if you could have wrapped up a playoff spot, great. But we're in the mix, and we're looking forward to it."