The Islanders finally have grown up.
An Islanders fan can tell when Islanders players and coaches talk about expecting and wanting to win the Stanley Cup this season. When has the last time you heard that from anyone on the Islanders?
This serves as an example of a culture change that was rooted two years ago when Islanders owners Scott Malkin and Jon Ledecky hired Lou Lamoriello as the general manager and Barry Trotz as the head coach. Lamoriello knows a thing or two about winning a Stanley Cup by boasting three Stanley Cup rings, and Trotz came off winning the Stanley Cup as a Washington Capitals head coach.
The Islanders produced results under Lamoriello and Trotz by going to the Eastern Conference semifinals two years ago and Eastern Conference Final this fall. If Brock Nelson scored that breakaway goal in Game 6 against the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Eastern Conference Final, we may have had Game 7. Who knows what would have happened in Game 7?
The players talked about it throughout a brief training camp. Trotz mentioned that Game 6 loss to the Lightning bothered him all offseason, and he talked about redemption heading to this season. Contrast that to Giants head coach Joe Judge doing a victory lap for a 6-10 season in his final press conference of the season, this talk is refreshing for a fan’s soul. Almost getting to the Stanley Cup Final is not good enough.
It’s great the Islanders expressed disappointment in how their season ended up. It will fuel their success heading to this season. They have something to play for. They know they are on the cusp of winning the Stanely Cup. It could be this season, especially with a 56-game season that benefits the Islanders since their grind-it-out style suits them well in a short season.
The players and coaches know they can only get so many cracks of winning the Stanley Cup. Opportunities don’t last forever. This explains why this team is playing with a sense of urgency heading to this season. There’s a good chance this roster could be broken apart this offseason with salary cap restrictions and such. No roster stays the same forever.
On Thursday night. the Islanders played like they are ready to win the Stanley Cup this season. They came out with a purpose in their 4-0 season opener victory against the Rangers at Madison Square Garden by scoring the first three goals of the first period and followed it up by putting the Rangers on a defensive lockdown for the final two periods of the game.
They scored their first goal on Nelson’s power-play goal, and then Anders Lee scored the second goal. Mat Barzal finished the Islanders’ first-period scoring spree by scoring a goal of his own.
The Islanders best players set the tone in what should be a much anticipated season. They know the standard is now high, and every team will approach them like it’s a playoff game after what they accomplished the last two seasons. This 56-game season is going to be a sprint, so every game has its meaning.
The pieces are in place. The Islanders feature three natural goal scorers in Nelson, Barzal and Anthony Beauvillier. Their defense will continue to be stingy under Trotz and his staff. The Islanders should get results from Semyon Varlamov and rookie Ilya Sorokin as goaltenders. Most importantly, the players know how to win.
A team normally takes off under a new coach after he is in his third year with them. This sounds like the right time for the Islanders to make their move under Trotz’s third year as the team’s head coach. If not now, when?
The Islanders are going to face pressure. That’s the way it is in New York. It’s championship or bust. They had no pressure these last two seasons since anything was an improvement. Now, they raised the bar after an Eastern Conference Final appearance.
The Islanders fans want more. So do the players, coaches, front office and ownership. Winning the Stanley Cup and sustaining excellence for a long time can be a blessing or a burden.
For the Islanders, it beats the alternative prior to Lamoriello and Trotz coming to town.
They give fans hope. They provide a reason to watch. They know they can make this spring memorable. Of all the teams in town, they offer the best chance of winning a championship in town for the first time since 2009.
When they embrace Stanley Cup expectations, it’s a sign they finally have grown up.
So excited for the Islanders season and Leslie’s continued coverage. Islanders will embrace the role as prohibitive favorite. Team is just so good even Leslie has jumped on the bandwagon.
This will be a fun season like the last two seasons, Chad. I feel the experience in the last two season bodes well for the Islanders, who are ready to win the Stanley Cup. This team knows how to win, and that’s half the battle. You create your own luck in hockey by doing the things that win games, and the Islanders do that as well any NHL team I see out there. I have been sold on them since Lou and Barry arrived two years ago.
Great Article Leslie