The New York Islanders played their worst game of the 2020 postseason in the eyes of head coach Barry Trotz on Sunday. … And they’re still one win away from reaching the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 1993.
Let that sink in for a moment.
The Islanders played their worst game of the postseason and still managed to take hold of a 3-1 series lead over the Philadelphia Flyers. That’s special, to say the least.
“I thought we were a little slow out of the gates and then I thought we were really good in the first period,” New York Islanders coach Barry Trotz said. “The second period they were really good and the third period it was, I will look at the scoring chances, but they’re probably going to be even. We were able to capitalize on one more puck.
“The teams are so good and so even in terms of parity and you have to find ways to win. We’ve got a comfort level, the term is becoming comfortable when it’s uncomfortable. Today ways an uncomfortable game and we found a way to win.”
“Our group understands that you go the distance on everything. You saw that when we were down 3 pucks the other right and we pulled it off to get it to overtime. It’s a room that understands that you have to go the distance and that distance is the final buzzer.” pic.twitter.com/YM1LEDgebe
— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) August 31, 2020
When you think about it, however, it fits with what has transpired over the last month since the NHL returned to play and the Islanders began their chase for a fifth Stanley Cup. The Islanders, against the odds, have been one of the most formidable teams in the playoffs handling dealing with the Florida Panthers and Washington Capitals.
Now the Flyers are a game away from becoming the Islanders’ latest victim.
The surprising success has brought about comparisons to the 1993 New York Islanders, who went to the conference finals but lost to the Montreal Canadiens in five games. Aside from the fact that should they eliminate the Flyers it would be the farthest the Islanders have gone in the postseason since that year, they’ve already surpassed the number of playoff wins from that season.
Sunday was the team’s 10th win in the postseason, which surpasses the 1993 team for most playoff wins in the Post-Cup era. Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Nick Leddy and Josh Bailey all have a plus/minus rating of plus-10 or higher. No Islander had finished higher than a plus-6 since Benoit Hogue in 1993, according to Eric Hornick.
Bailey’s 12th point of the playoffs, picked up on an assist on Brock Nelson’s first-period goal Sunday, is the most for any Islanders player in the postseason since 1993.
None of this success, by the way, has gone to the Islanders’ heads.
“When you start reflecting on that at this point I think it’s only going to hurt you,” said Josh Bailey, who is the longest-tenured Islander on the roster. “You just keep taking it day by day. Make sure you’re prepared physically and mentally. Get ready to go come puck drop and we’re going to have to do that again in two days.”
It’s the mentality that the Islanders have carried throughout the playoffs since this whacky version of the postseason began on Aug. 1. Just about a full month later that hasn’t changed.
It’s partially what has helped the Islanders remain so even-keeled through ups and downs this summer. And Trotz is happy to hear that his team has maintained that philosophy.
“Let’s look at the task at hand. The task at hand is we have to win one more game and that last game is the toughest,” Trotz said. “We’re going to have to go earn it. No one is going to walk in our room and give us a game. We’ve got to go earn it. Today we didn’t play well enough to earn it, but we were able to get a win and that says a lot about the group. When the game is on the line our group found a way to get it done.
“Our group was able to capitalize on a couple of chances.”
