After three straight losses, the New York Islanders are running out of time to salvage their season.
After three straight losses, the New York Islanders are running out of time to salvage their season.
The New York Islanders locker room following Sunday's debacle against the cross-town rival New York Rangers was different than their previous 14 third-period blown leads.
For the first time all year, it looked as if belief was starting to dissipate from the group after their 6-5 overtime loss at MetLife stadium.
What should have been a win against their biggest rivals in front of almost 80,000 people and a monumental moment in what has been a lackluster season became an embarrassing defeat for a third straight loss, with the playoff runway getting shorter by the day.
"This one feels like it’s going to take a little bit right now, just given the circumstances of the day and the game and environment,” Brock Nelson said. “Take a little bit of time now to kind of just reflect and finish this day off. Review tomorrow and think about some areas where we can kind of tidy up.
“Right now, for us, the next game is the biggest game of the year. So, we’ve got to get right back to it, and we’ve got to find a way to win and string together a few.”
Well, here we are as the Islanders are in Pittsburgh to face a Penguins team that sits four points behind the Islanders in the standings.
The Islanders have lost the first two meetings of the season to Pittsburgh, being outscored 10-1 in a 7-0 loss on home ice on Dec. 29 before falling on New Year's Eve 3-1 at PPG Paints Arena.
Although the Islanders' playoff chances are dwindling, they are still in the mix, trailing the second-wild-card Detroit Red Wings by six points with a game in hand with 28 games remaining.
It's now or never for the Islanders.
There's no more moral victories. There are no more positives. Accountability isn't even a factor at this point.
It's about results, and if the Islanders can't find it in themselves to get up and get a win against a weak team, given the magnitude of the situation, we are likely reaching the final pages of the 2023-24 season.