The New York Islanders are the NHL’s hottest team after big win in Philly

The New York Islanders are the NHL's hottest team at the moment, winning six straight following a 3-0 blanking of the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday night.

New York Islanders forward Kyle Palmieri scored to ice the win for the New York Islanders on Thursday night.
New York Islanders forward Kyle Palmieri scored to ice the win for the New York Islanders on Thursday night. | Emilee Chinn/GettyImages

The New York Islanders defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 3-0 on Thursday night at the Wells Fargo Center. The win catapulted the Isles to their sixth win in a row and are now the NHL’s hottest team.

Yes, it feels like we’ve been waiting all year to say that. The Isles were seemingly out of it about a week ago. But then, a switch flipped and the real New York Islanders showed up to play.

Curiously enough, the resurgence has come with the Isles down their top defenseman, Noah Dobson, Ryan Pulock, Semyon Varlamov, and third-string netminder Marcus Hogberg.

Still, we’ve seen a resurgent Isles team climb out of last place in the Metro Division and now get back into the playoff hunt in the Eastern Conference.

One of the biggest reasons for the turnaround has been Simon Holmstrom. He’s scored in four of his last five games and looks to have found the confidence that has eluded him all season long.

On Thursday night against the Flyers, he opened the scoring in the second period with a beautiful tally. Holmstrom’s hot streak is an example of how much the Islanders have turned things around over the last week or so.

At this rate, the Islanders could well jump back into a wildcard spot in the East, potentially becoming a dangerous team down the stretch. However, the Isles’ hot streak will be put to the test as they face the Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers, Vegas Golden Knights, Winnipeg Jets, and Minnesota Wild in their next five games.

If the Isles can win three or even four of those games, the team will be in a good position heading into the 4 Nations Face-Off break.

The 4 Nations Face-Off break could affect the New York Islanders’ momentum

Speaking of the 4 Nations Face-Off, the break could affect the Islanders’ momentum. The team is playing well now and not showing any signs of slowing down.

However, what effect could a two-week layoff have on the team? Sure, it’s a useful break as it would allow banged-up players to get some rest. But beyond that, could the break derail the team’s momentum?

There’s no telling that might be the case. While the Isles could just pick up where they left off, there’s a real possibility that the break could negatively impact the team due to the time off the ice.

The pressure will be on Patrick Roy to keep the intensity up instead of letting the team fall into a lull. Roy would run a mini training camp just to keep the pressure up on the team. Above all, the Islanders must understand they are playing as a desperate team looking to salvage their season.

With that hungry mindset, the Isles could very well become the next version of the 2019 St. Louis Blues.

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