New York Islanders: The Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde Of The NHL

The New York Islanders need to be ready for the 2015 NHL playoffs. Jack Capuano must get his players ready. What team is going to show up on the ice?

The inevitable is upon us.  The New York Islanders are making the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs and will be preparing for the toughest tournament in sports.

Unfortunately, instead of celebrating a successful season and playoff berth, there is an elephant in the room.  The question on many Islanders fans minds is, what team will show up on the ice when the puck is dropped come round one?

Is it going to be the The Islander team that has had the Nassau Coliseum echoing chants of “‘let’s go Islanders, and the now infamous, “Yes, Yes, Yes?”  Or are the Isles going to rollover and have the deer in the headlights glare knowing that death is only inches away?

Jack Capuano and Co. have a ton of work to do in a very short period of time if they do not want to disappoint, better yet, lose their jobs.  Coaching needs to find the magic from mid-season and get the best out of all their players.

Garth Snow already did the difficult task in getting Nick Leddy and Johnny Boychuk locked up.  The signings should have been a boost in knowing two solid D-men have put their careers in the hands of the Islanders.  That positive energy needed to spread through the locker room like a virus.   The message sent is this team is not just going to war now but for years to come.

Instead, the Islanders have spiraled out of the Metropolitan division lead handing it off to the Rangers.  The fact that there was an iota of a thought the team not making the playoffs was embarrassing enough.

The Islanders had everyone around the league a few weeks back talking them up as serious contenders.  The training wheels were off and the team earned the well deserved respect.

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Now we watch the games peaking through our fingers, waiting on what Islander team is going to come to play.  The lone thing that has been consistent the past month is the inconsistent play the Isles have reflected on the ice.

Coaching needs to figure out how to get this team prepared.  Many of the players were there for the 2013 series against the Penguins.  The Isles gave the then mighty Penguins a pretty good run.

Nobody should care what is said about the lack of playoff experience being an issue.  There are enough players on the Islanders that have that playoff caliber maturity.

There are no more excuses.  You are in the NHL, each player had to play at their greatest abilities to get to this point in their own  career.  The only lack of experience right now for the Islanders is that killer want to win.

More from Eyes On Isles

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• Islanders Zdeno Chara trending in the right direction
• Islanders: Semyon Varlamov Deserves Benefit of the Doubt
• Islanders Ilya Sorokin becoming number one goalie
• Islanders Zach Parise Was Quiet in Return to Minnesota