RALEIGH -- The New York Islanders have closed the book on their 2023-24 season, falling 5-3 to the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 5 to end the series.
The Islanders looked like a long shot for a playoff spot, but they got in.
That doesn't mean losing in five games to Carolina numbs the pain for the fan base, especially after how the series played out.
On the surface, the Islanders were outplayed by Carolina, who made "easy" work of them.
Below the surface, the Islanders played the Hurricanes well, but their failures in key moments were a microcosm of their season, one of inconsistencies.
That resiliency that Patrick Roy spoke so much about allows a portion of the fan base to be proud of what this team did.
This season-ending loss could mean the end for certain players on Long Island, like veterans Matt Martin and Cal Clutterbuck, who are both pending unrestricted free agents.
Martin, who spent 13 seasons on Long Island, is 45 games shy of reaching 1,000, while Clutterbuck, who reached the 1,000-game milestone this past season, has played 718 games in an Islanders sweater:
Then there were the fans who have had enough of this group and are ready to see some major changes this summer:
Whichever side you are part of, the offseason among us.
When training camp rolls around, some may be optimistic based on what transpires over the summer, while others will fear the worst once the 2024-25 season begins.