During his team’s eight-day break, Islanders coach Lane Lambert will not have much time to rest or unwind. But escaping a rigorous schedule will allow him and his team to catch a much-needed breath of fresh air.
“Every team in the league has played a great deal of hockey,” Lambert said. However, we have traveled throughout January. This has been a difficult time for us. It is beneficial to take a break from the game to refresh, regenerate, and spend time with family. Achieve a state of mind in which your return is reinvigorating. And that’s basically all there is to it.”
The Islanders endured a dismal month of January but ended the month on a high note. They ended their six-game losing streak by sweeping consecutive home games against the Red Wings and Golden Knights.
Brock Nelson and Ilya Sorokin will represent the squad at All-Star Weekend in South Florida, while the rest of the players will receive a respite from their relentless schedule.
“It’s difficult to turn it off,” remarked Lambert. “Do your absolute best to do that, and I will do the same. However, there is always something happening.”
After Saturday’s 2-1 victory over Vegas, in which Mathew Barzal scored the game-winning goal late in overtime, the attitude in the locker room was one of relief. Prior to the weekend, the Islanders had only won twice all month, but are now only two points behind Pittsburgh for the final wild-card place. The Penguins have three games in hand to increase their lead, but the fact that the Islanders still have a chance after a 4-8-3 month gives the group hope.
“This break would have been difficult if the results of the last two games had been reversed,” Barzal added. For us to immediately re-enter the competition is crucial heading into this break.
The first week after a break appears to have a manageable schedule, which adds to the optimism. The Isles play four times in six nights, but three of their opponents, the Flyers, Canucks, and Canadiens, are at or below.500.
This should afford them the opportunity to make a statement, especially as management considers its options before the March 3 trade deadline.
If the Islanders are in position to go for it, they must add a scorer. The Isles are ranked 25th in scoring per game, and their power play, which is currently 3-for-64, is 31st in the NHL at 15.54 percent.
In a league where speed and talent reign supreme, it is difficult to win many games without consistently scoring more than three goals each game. In January, the Islanders scored more than three goals only once, a 6-2 victory over the Canucks early in the month.
Since Palmieri’s return to the lineup, the second line of Anders Lee, Nelson, and Kyle Palmieri has been scoring goals and has appeared revitalized.
“I believe it affects everyone,” Lambert remarked. “When you’re watching the line out there and they’re playing the way they’re playing, you want to match their performance. Indeed, this is the situation right now. The line is performing admirably. It leads to other players performing exceptionally well.”
With a lengthy vacation ahead, Islanders are pleased to have something nice to focus on.
“It was a crucial four points for us before halftime,” Semyon Varlamov stated. It’s fantastic to enter the break feeling positive about the squad and ourselves.
»Islanders’ strong finish in January altered the mood heading into the break«