The New York Islanders may have lost Brock Nelson, but this group still wants to qualify for the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
They begin their three-game California trip just four points back of the second wild-card spot.
"Well, here’s the deal. No matter what happened, we still believe in what we want to do," Islanders captain Anders Lee said. "There’s going to be absolutely zero change in how we approach everyday. The goal of us getting into the playoffs and giving ourselves a chance, none of that changes. I think now we just got to fill some shoes a little bit. Guys got to step up, and we all have to be better as a group, but our mentality and our drive to push for the playoffs has not changed, regardless of what happened.”
If the Islanders want to have any chance of overcoming the Nelson loss, they'll need their usual goal scorers to keep scoring, but they will undoubtedly need players like Maxim Tsyplakov and Anthony Duclair to step up their production.
Islanders Have Next-Man-Up If It Comes To Palmieri & Nelson Roster Replacing
Emotions aside, there aren't many fan arguments against the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders">New York Islanders</a> retooling at the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline.
"I mean, you go through deadlines all the time, and you understand what you're doing, you understand the direction you're heading in, going into it, but I think this one's kind of different," Islanders forward Casey Cizikas said. "It was strictly business but at the end of the day we have guys in this dressing room right now that are going to have an opportunity to fill some big shoes, and those are opportunities that you want, those are opportunities that you want to take advantage of.
"So moving forward, guys are going to be put in spots where they're going to have a chance to succeed, and we just got to carry with that. We got to play as a whole, play as a group, because that's our identity. That's when we play our best hockey is when we have everyone on the same page battling together, and that's gonna be the biggest thing."
While no win in the NHL is easy, the Islanders' next two opponents are not the strongest. The San Jose Sharks are in the basement of the NHL with the Anaheim Ducks a few spots higher.
The Los Angeles Kings, who the Islanders play on Tuesday to conclude their road trip, are currently in third place in the Pacific Division.
“Let’s take advantage of it," Lee said. "We’re out here just the boys. We had a great day spending time together yesterday, and an opportunity to go to dinner the night before and spend time with one another, and those go a long way in terms of just the feeling of the group, and let’s take advantage of this trip, and it starts tomorrow night.”
Regardless of the roller coaster of a season, the roller coaster of the last few years, the Islanders have proved that they aren't going to give up even when they're in a hole that seems too difficult to get out of.
"The message is kind of the same. We’re right in the hunt of the playoff position. We've shown that we know how to find a way to get it done down the stretch. We've done it for the last couple years," Islanders defenseman Noah Dobson said. "So, I think as a group, it’s just all about coming together. It's an opportunity for someone else to step up, but yeah, I think the message is the same. We want to go one game at a time here, but we want to continue pushing towards our goal of getting the playoffs.”
Let's not kid ourselves. This California trip can be a real difference-maker in their pursuit of a playoff spot. They could return from the trip in a wild-card spot or put themselves out of reach.
"We got three games in four nights here in California. It's a good opportunity, I think, where it's always a tough trip," Dobson said. "Each team brings a different challenge, but I think it starts with one, and it can be a trip that we can really build off of.”
The Islanders battle the Sharks at 10 PM ET.
Stay updated with the most interesting Islanders stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News to never miss a story.