New York Islanders Roundtable: Back to the Future

Billy Lewis

The Islanders are a team that should be better than they are. They are sitting near the bottom of the league, which is just unacceptable. Last year was supposed to help propel them to contenders for the Stanley Cup and instead, they have taken a huge step back.

The really frustrating part about this team is they are seemingly in every game.  They have eight losses by only one goal. Unfortunately, bad teams typically find a way to lose games, and thus far the Isles are a bad team.

The fact that they are in almost every game should be a good sign. Outside of the Tampa games, there haven’t been too many games that were over from the beginning.

In order to turn their season around, the Islanders just need to learn how to win again. I would like to see them play a faster game. Think back to two years ago when they were one of the most fun teams to watch.

They were using their speed and skill to outshoot teams game in and game out. They became a team that nobody wanted to play. Now players are wishing they played the Isles more.

They have pieces in place for a fast paced game. Tavares, Strome, Beauvillier, and even Jason Chimera would see their games take an upturn. The Islanders aren’t dead just yet. I do not want to see this season get out of hand too early. This team might not compete for a Stanley Cup, but there is no reason they can not at least make a run at the playoffs.