New York Islanders' perfect road trip could signal major turnaround

Then, a late goal gave the Isles the lead with a little over two minutes to go. The Isles buckled down and won the game. That’s not something we’ve seen all too often this season.

There are metrics and stats we could go into, of course. But I’m an old-school guy and I believe in the eye test. Analytics, while certainly useful, only tell one side of the story. You need to see a team play to determine where they’re headed.

Based on what we’ve seen over the last three games, it could be that the Isles are poised for a run.

Looking at the New York Islanders’ place in the standings

Heading into Monday night’s action, the New York Islanders sit in seventh place in the Metro Division, tied with the Philadelphia Flyers with 41 points apiece. The Flyers are technically in last place as they have two more regulation losses than the Isles.

While the Islanders’ current spot in the standing may seem discouraging, the club is four points off fourth-place Columbus.

Most importantly, the Isles are six points off the first wildcard spot in the Eastern Conference. Yes, six points can be a lot of ground to make up. But it’s not quite that much when considering how a prolonged winning streak can close the gap.

I’m not saying that the Isles are going to win ten or twenty straight. But what I am saying is that the Isles could pick up as many points as possible from now till the end of the season. If things go well, the Isles could comfortably lock down a playoff spot.

There are plenty of things that could go wrong, but then again, the team is healthy and has the pieces to make a run toward the playoffs this season.

Don’t look now, but the Isles could be on the verge of delivering on the promise we anticipated at the outset of this season.