The Islanders Need to Start Winning Against Good Teams

The New York Islanders had high hopes coming into the 2021-22 season. A rough start including a 13-game road trip and multiple COVID outbreaks had the Islanders struggling in the early portion of the season. The team has won more games as of late, but mostly against inferior opponents.

New York Islanders Post-COVID Outbreak Success

The Islanders fell far behind in the standings with an 11-game losing skid that ended on December 7th. Since that day, the Isles have gone 8-4-1, rising up from last place in the Metropolitan Division. During this stretch the schedule had favorable opponents as most of those wins came against bad teams.

Teams the Isles have beaten includes the Flyers, Coyotes, Sabres, Oilers and Devils. The losses have come against teams such as the Golden Knights, Capitals, and Maple Leafs. This is a problem the Isles have been plagued with all season, not just as of late.

The Islanders Have Many Games in Hand

The Islanders have only played 34 games so far this season. That is the lowest amount in the entire NHL. The opportunity to reach the playoffs for the 4th straight season is possible, but it will not come easy.

Currently the New York Islanders sit in 7th place in the Metropolitan division and 16 points out of a playoff spot. We've seen them do the improbable before, but can they do it again?

Beating the many teams that aren't having good seasons is a must. The Isles have been able to do that but won't come close to competing for the playoffs if they can't beat good teams. The next few weeks will be crucial to see if the Islanders are prepared to make a run.