I do not know how they continue to do it, but the New York Islanders show up when it matters most and thrive in the playoffs. Even after going into the postseason on a low note, they continue to win and have given the insanely stacked Tampa Bay Lightning a run for their money.
It is crazy to think that not even a half decade ago, the Islanders were a complete mess. Their ownership and front office were incompetent, their arena situation was in limbo, and the on ice product was a total joke.
And especially after losing John Tavares in the 2018 offseason, who knew how low this team would go. Let the current version of the Islanders be a lesson as to why heart, hunger, and chemistry can result in major success for an organization.
When Barry Trotz took over for them in the 2018-2019 season, they did not just make the playoffs, they placed second in the tough Metropolitan division and even won a series. But they still had their flaws and questions, as their forward core was nothing scary and they got swept by the Carolina Hurricanes in the second round.
This caused many, including myself, to believe that their run of success that year was a fluke, and that they did not have it in them to make the playoffs the next season. And while they did not exactly impress during the 2019-2020 regular season, they still made the playoffs, and the 2020 playoffs in the bubble is about when I really started to see them as legit.
If there is one thing they showed during that run, it is that they forecheck hard, continue to forecheck hard, and will not stop forechecking as hard as they possibly can. They made a killing off of this in their first round domination of the Washington Capitals, and it helped them come out on top in a hard fought seven game win against the Flyers.
They would fall to the eventual Stanley Cup Champions Lightning in six games, and despite their incredible run, there were still people who thought they might not make the playoffs this year. I personally believed in them enough to predict them to get first place in the East division, but came in fourth, and still had to prove that the year prior was not just a stroke of lucky momentum.
It is safe to say that they have quashed that thinking for good now. Even though they are coming off an 8-0 loss to the Lightning and find themselves tied 3-3 in the series as I am typing this, you still must tip your hat to what they have accomplished.
The Islanders are nowhere near the most flashy or talented team in the league, but they play to their strengths. And they do it effectively.
There are still going to be people who question if they can win a Cup with the way they play, and that is understandable. In the NHL, winning a Cup typically requires high end offensive talent, something the Islanders do not have outside of Matt Barzal, who while talented, is not exactly in the elite echelon of forwards.
But they have proven that they are built for the playoffs, as they have had repeated success. One thing they do have that most other teams do not is a coach who has the players completely behind him, and that has allowed them to sustain success with the play style they have.
I personally believe that they are more than capable of winning a Cup with the roster they have, if they were incapable of doing so, they would not have the track record they do. Remember (with the exception of one awful night) they are playing tough against a team that is $18M over the salary cap.
The Islanders went from having nothing to having everything, from an inspired on-ice team, one of the best head coaches in NHL history at this point, a reputable GM who acquires players who are built for the playoffs, and to two incredibly passionate owners in John Ledecky and Scott Malkin.
The most well-run organizations are typically the ones that come out on top in pro sports, and the Islanders are currently one of the most well-run organizations in hockey, from top to bottom. And one more thing, as a Nashville Predators fan, please please please get Trotz the Cups he deserves.
