Islanders are looking good now they can prove it against three of the leagues best
As a reward for their valiant effort Thursday in Minnesota to knock off the Western Conference leader in points, the Islanders next host back-to-back dates with the league’s two leaders in points percentage.Before the reigning champions come to UBS Arena late next week, they’ll start with Connor McDavid and the Oilers on Saturday afternoon. Such is the relentlessness of an NHL season, but as three-game homestands go, the Oilers, Hurricanes and Devils — the latter having added all-world goaltender Connor Hellebuyck last week to level up a notch — is about as tough a week as any team could face. The Islanders have gotten points in seven of their last eight and kept their game at a high level despite an injury pile-up, with Ryan Pulock added Thursday.
The last two of those matches, which came on the road at Nashville and Minnesota, were two of their most convincing 60 minutes. It is as if the hockey gods laughed and told the Islanders to go prove it some more. “I think we just gotta keep it rolling,” Matthew Schaefer said after scoring the overtime winner to down the Wild in St.Paul, Minn.
“Learn from this road trip and keep going.” Easier said than done, of course. If Pulock is unable to go Saturday, as expected, the Islanders likely will insert Matt Kessel into the lineup.They had not called anyone up as of Friday afternoon, an indication they could start the homestand with just 12 healthy forwards and six healthy defensemen on their roster. The reason to believe they can get away with it against some of the league’s best offenses, starting with the McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Evan Bouchard-led Oilers —whose 9-2-2 start has established them as Stanley Cup contenders under coach Mike Babcock — lies in the way the Islanders have embraced Pete DeBoer’s system. “I think it starts with our leaders in here,” defenseman Logan Stanley said.
“You look at a guy like Bo Horvat, Brayden Schenn, [Kyle Palmieri].They’re playing the right...