New York Islanders Three Reasons to Be Excited For Playoffs

They Can Win a Round

The Isles currently sit second in the Metro with 97 points in 78 games while the Penguins hold down third in the Metro with 95 from 77 games.

It’s hard to imagine a scenario where the Isles and Penguins don’t play each other in round one of the playoffs. And while the prospects of playing Sidney Crosby more then we have to doesn’t sound appetizing, the Islanders can certainly deal with the Penguins.

Of the four meetings between the two divisional rivals this season, the Islanders hold a 2-1-1 record with back-to-back wins at the end of October.

The Penguins are certainly scary up top with players like Sidney Crosby, Evgeny Malkin, and Phil Kessel but they’re relatively weak on the blueline which includes both Jack Johnson and Erik Gudbransson, objectively two of the worst blueliners in the game.

The Islanders can, and have, contained that powerful Pittsburgh offense, keeping them quiet this season. It may not be easy to do over a full seven-game series, but it’s clear that the New York Islanders team defense and ability to suppress shots and high-quality chances can get the job done.

Lastly, it’s clear that the Islanders hold a significant advantage between the posts. Both Matt Murray and Casey DeSmith have average just over 2.70GAA and a 0.918SV%. Robin Lehner and Thomas Greiss are averaging 2.27GAA and a 0.926SV%.

At a time of year where a single hot goalie can take you all the way, the New York Islanders can count on two shot-stoppers to steal the show versus the Penguins.

Winning a series isn’t guaranteed, but the Islanders certainly have enough, even if it’s against the Pittsburgh Penguins.