Islanders feeling the pressure to turn things around now

It may seem hyperbolic to state that the New York Islanders don’t have much time to turn things around this season.

It’s still relatively early in November, and it seems like there’s plenty of hockey to be played. While that’s true, the competition is relentless. And riding a four-game skid isn’t exactly a good way to lock up a playoff spot.

Now, the reason for the urgency is the unofficial Thanksgiving rule. Historical data compiled during the Salary Cap era has shown that teams not in a playoff spot by Thanksgiving only have about a 25% chance of making the postseason.

It might seem like roughly 30% of the season is not enough to really pass judgment on a team. But statistically speaking, it’s a large enough sample size to determine that a team has the wherewithal to make the postseason or not.

And in the Islanders’ case, they’ll have to prove they have the horses to make a run in the Eastern Conference. Yes, the Islanders have a solid roster, especially with all-world goalie Ilya Sorokin backing up the operation. But the projections don’t seem to favor the Isles putting everything together this season.

Projected standings don’t look kind for Islanders

Now, looking at the projected standings by the folks at Hockey Alchemy, the Isles figure to finish 13th in the East, with a total of 87 points. That’s not going to be nearly enough to grab a playoff spot this season.

Last year, the second wild card spot went to the Ottawa Senators with 99 points. Judging from that alone, the Isles don’t look like they’ll be anywhere close to a playoff spot this season.

The projections also assign a 20% chance of making the postseason, ahead of other teams like the Pittsburgh Penguins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Philadelphia Flyers, and Columbus Blue Jackets.

And when you look at the teams below the Isles, they are really good teams with plenty of star power. The problem plaguing those teams is age and overall inconsistency. That’s why NHL betting markets aren’t too enthusiastic about their chances of making the playoffs this season.

Things can change, of course. The Islanders can pull off a run like the Buffalo Sabres did last season and rise to the top of the Metro Division.

In fact, the Sabres were pretty much left for dead at the side of the road around this time last season. Buffalo put together a ridiculous winning streak and rode that momentum into the playoffs.

I’m not saying that the Islanders need to win 15 games in a row and just go berserk. What I am saying is that the Islanders need to string together far more consistent streaks. The team needs to be better than its 4-3-3 mark over the last 10 games.

Bear in mind that those three overtime losses yield points. And these were games that the Islanders could have won. But when you look at that 5-4 loss against the New Jersey Devils a couple of nights ago, the Isles were leading 4-2. They allowed the Devils to get back into the game. And regardless of whether that Matthew Schaefer trip was a penalty or not, the Islanders let that game slip away. They came away with one point. But they let the Devils get two when they could have gotten none.

Those are the painful defeats that weigh so heavily in March.

What can Islanders do at this point?

The worst part in this entire discussion is that the Islanders are not playing bad enough to suggest blowing things up. The club has been playing well defensively, and getting some scoring when possible.

There have been games like Monday night’s 3-2 shootout loss to the Sharks in which the offense has dried up.

It’s that frustrating situation that makes it difficult to pinpoint any single thing that needs a massive shakeup. The organization already hired a new coach. There were additions to the team across the board. Perhaps a shakeup across the lineup might be warranted.

But there could be something bigger affecting the team: Injuries.

When you look at how injuries are affecting the club, you’re looking at Alexander Romanov out for the season. Mathew Barzal has not played all season. Meanwhile, Ryan Pulock, Calum Ritchie, and Matias Maccelli are all out with various injuries.

Unfortunately, there’s not much any team can do about injuries. They happen when they do, and the only thing a team can do is rely on depth to see how to best navigate them. Anyone with experience knows how much depth can make a huge difference when injuries hit.

Isles will have to prioritize depth

At the end of the day, it seems that depth will be the major issue for the Islanders. The loss of the aforementioned players led the Isles to sign Logan Stanley in-season, which was a great move, by the way, and then Ben Hutton. These were two guys who could secure a deal during the offseason, but were great finds for Mathieu Darche.

Looking at the rest of the lineup, the injuries allowed Victor Eklund to get a look. So far, he’s looked good. But those injuries have also forced Brayden Schenn back into a center spot, while Barzal’s absence has removed the Isles’ best offensive weapon from the board.

Again, the lineup hasn’t looked awful. They’ve played as well as you could expect. Depth guys like Mitchell Chaffee have done their part, even in limited roles.

But they’re not the sexy names you’d want in the lineup when injuries pile up. Perhaps with the return of the regulars currently out, the Islanders can find some semblance of consistency. That may be enough to get things back on track.

The reality, nonetheless, is that time is precious. The Islanders will have to win now, even without their best players. That’s the mission. And when the wounded warriors return, they’ll come into a situation in which the team is already strong enough to compete for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

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