The New York Islanders only have 10 games remaining in the 2023-24 regular season. Despite an impressive win on March 28 against the Florida Panthers, they remain on the outside of the playoffs in the Eastern Conference looking in. They only trail the Philadelphia Flyers by five points in the standings and the Washington Capitals by four points yet it will still take an impressive finish to secure a playoff spot.
Related: Anders Lee’s Struggles Embody Islanders Season
Even if the Islanders don’t do so, and the chances are they don’t, there are still plenty of things to watch down the stretch. This is a team that must answer some questions both in the immediate future and the long run and these games will help them do just that.
10. The Islanders’ Goaltending Situation
Semyon Varlamov started the recent game and was impressive in the net, saving 26 of the 28 shots he faced to will the Islanders to a 3-2 victory. He hasn’t been a dominant presence but he’s gotten the job done in recent games, stopping 32 shots in a 6-3 victory over the Winnipeg Jets on March 23 and making 22 saves in a 6-1 stomping of the Anaheim Ducks on March 10. Conversely, Ilya Sorokin has struggled lately. The workload has gotten to him all season but the recent stretch is particularly concerning as he’s allowed 16 goals in the last four games.
The Islanders must address this issue immediately. For now, Varlamov will be the goaltender they’ll rely on to make a push for the playoffs. He has the hot hand and Sorokin has struggled to the point where the Islanders can’t afford to start him knowing they might lose ground in the standings.
Then come the long-term questions. The expectation is that Sorokin, who was a Vezina Trophy finalist last season, will return to form and bounce back as an elite goaltender next season. These games however are where Varlamov can prove he belongs on the roster for the long run. He’s 35 years old but hasn’t slowed down as a backup and strong starts down the stretch will secure his spot in the lineup for the next few seasons even if there are impressive goaltending prospects in the pipeline.
9. An Identity Forming Under Roy
Here’s a question about the Islanders. What have they been good at under Patrick Roy? He’s been their head coach for 27 games yet it’s hard to find what the team does well and what allows them to win games. The Islanders were a mess and played a chaotic style of hockey under Lane Lambert and haven’t done so since Roy was hired yet it’s far-fetched to call this team a disciplined and structured one with him behind the bench.
The final 10 games are when the Isanders should start showing that they have a way of winning games. Even if that way is versatility, something Roy is trying to instill in this roster, the Islanders must prove they can win in multiple ways. Forming an identity will allow them to not only have success down the stretch but by the start of next season, they’ll be ready to compete with the best in the Eastern Conference.
8. A Youth Presence
If the Islanders start to unravel and they won’t make the playoffs, they’ll have an opportunity to give their prospects some NHL action. It will only be a few games but maybe William Dufour or Matthew Maggio, the top two prospects in the system, will join the team and impress in the few games. Both skaters are dynamic scorers at the American Hockey League (AHL) level and eventually will become the two forwards to lead the Islanders’ offense.
This team needs youth with the core starting to age. More importantly, the forward unit needs some energy and a scoring presence on the later lines. Dufour and Maggio can provide that the same way another prospect has been able to do so on the fourth line.
7. MacLean Stepping Up on the Fourth Line
Kyle MacLean’s been a pleasant surprise in the second half of the season. He’s only played 22 games and scored three goals and three assists but the 24-year-old forward has stepped up in a fourth-line role. When asked to center it, he’s done so and if needed, he’s moved to the wing as well. He is next in line to replace the aging forwards on the fourth line along with Casey Cizikas and Hudson Fasching and he can help form the Islanders’ new “Identity Line” with Cal Clutterbuck and Matt Martin both in the twilight of their NHL careers.
6. A Revitalized Power Play
It wasn’t long ago that the Islanders had one of the best power-play units in the league. In recent games, it’s been hapless. In the past six games, they’ve scored only once despite having 20 opportunities and in the past nine games, they’ve gone 2/32 on the man advantage.
The power play should find the back of the net consistently, especially since the Islanders have a top-heavy roster. The offense in general is carried by four skaters and they all happen to play on the top power-play unit. With Noah Dobson at the point, Brock Nelson, Bo Horvat, and Kyle Palmieri stepping up as shooters, while Mathew Barzal freestyles in the offensive zone, the unit should improve in the final few games. The power play can lead the Islanders to a playoff push and a strong finish to the season, making improvements all the more necessary.
5. Islanders’ Defense Makes an Impact at the Point
There were glimpses of this in the win over the Panthers. Ryan Pulock fired a shot from the point that found the back of the net and while the goal was called back for goaltender interference, it didn’t deter him from firing the puck on the net again. He scored in the second period as he had an open look near the net. He is just one of the many defensemen on the Islanders who have a great shot and can open up the offense at the point but don’t.
The big issue is that the Islanders’ defense isn’t consistently generating shots from the blue line. Outside of Dobson, who has eight goals and 58 assists, the unit has struggled to create offense. The rest of the unit can make a difference at the blue line and the hope is they can finally put it together in the final 10 games of the season.
4. Scoreboard Watching
This is the one thing not tied to games the Islanders play and it’s something they can’t control. To make the playoffs they’ll need some help and a handful of teams either need to fall apart or split their final regular season games to allow the Islanders to sneak in.
The two teams to watch are the Capitals and the Flyers as they must leapfrog at least one of them to have any hope of reaching the playoffs. The Islanders play the Flyers on April 1 and the game could all but determine which team ends up as the third seed in the Metropolitan Division. Both divisional opponents have difficult schedules to end the season and a strong finish for the Islanders gives them a chance to end up making it to the playoffs.
3. Dobson Keeps Adding Up Assists
Dobson has been one of the few bright spots throughout the season. He has eight goals and a career-high 58 assists to go along with 4.0 defensive point shares, making him the top two-way player on the Islanders. He’s emerged as a core player on the roster and even in a rocky season, he’s provided optimism for the future.
Setting the franchise record for assists seems out of reach. Denis Potvin distributed 70 in 1978-79 and Dobson would have to go on a tear where he has 13 assists in 10 games. However, Dobson can and should still put together a strong finish to the season and continue to develop into one of the league’s best offensive defensemen.
2. Barzal Ends the Season a Point-Per-Game Player
The Islanders average only 2.97 goals per game but even as the offense has struggled, Barzal has continued to produce. Not only has he distributed 51 assists but his shot has helped him score 23 assists and earn an All-Star selection earlier in the season. He has rounded out his game and it’s allowed him not only to become a point-per-game player but lead the offense.
With only 10 games to go, Barzal is only eight points away from reaching that milestone. This type of season would signal that he’s made his mark as one of the elite players in the NHL and even as the rest of the roster struggles, he gives the team a chance to win on a nightly basis.
1. Islanders Put Together a Strong Finish
Regardless of whether the Islanders make the playoffs or not, the hope is that they finish the season strong. If they end the season on a hot streak and another team ahead of them does as well, leaving them out of the playoffs by a few points, it will sting. Even worse, if they are tied with another team by standings points but lose the tiebreaker because of regulation wins (compared to overtime losses, something the Islanders have 15 of) it will make all those blown leads haunt them throughout the offseason. However, a strong finish will end the season on a high note.
More importantly, a strong end to the season will make all the difference heading into the offseason. They’ll prove they can compete with the best teams in the Eastern Conference and they can pick up where they left off at the start of next season.
Is there something you want to see in the final 10 games? Let us know in the comments section below!