NY Islanders resiliency not enough to overcome inconsistent efforts and shortcomings

You may have heard that the New York Islanders are resilient.

Resiliency is generally considered a positive trait, as it reflects the ability to recover from adversity, overcome challenges, and continue pushing forward despite setbacks.

That the Islanders meet the description of a resilient team isn't in question, but when that adjective is used to describe their play following a game, it too often means that they came up short. Saturday afternoon's 5-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning, a game in which they trailed 4-0 after two periods, was the latest example of that.

“We have to come out with that same intensity as we had in the third," said defenseman Ryan Pulock after the game. "Some things don’t always go your way, there are bounces here and there and you can’t dwell on that. Tonight we fought but those mistakes we made in the first period that were the difference in the game.”

The comeback attempt was viewed as valiant and another example of how this team doesn't quit. However, that effort was required because the team failed to play for 60 minutes, a common theme throughout the season. Showing an ability to bounce back after losses or to claw your way back into a game are all good traits, but so is being able to jump on a team early, grab a lead, and hold onto it.

“This is a good group,” said Patrick Roy. “The guys are working hard; they were resilient.”

That's all well and good, but the Islanders are winless in four straight (0-2-2) and blew leads in three of those four games. They have battled injuries all season and have seen one of their core players and their leading scorer each of the last five seasons traded. They could've quit on the season and didn't, so they deserve credit. Yet, that doesn't make up for the season's shortcomings, and if the players, coaches, and management keep relying on their resilience, it can't be used as a reason to overlook what is inherently wrong with the roster.

At season's end, whether it happens at the conclusion of the regular season or in the playoffs, the organization needs to take a step back and reassess their situation and avoid pushing blindly forward and using the team's resilience as the reason why significant changes aren't needed.