The New York Islanders have fallen out of the Stanley Cup Playoffs after consecutive losses. Regulation flops against the Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators sent the Columbus Blue Jackets into the third spot in the Metropolitan Division. The biggest Islanders nightmare is missing the playoffs, but they must avoid the Carolina Hurricanes at all costs.
The last two times the Islanders have made the playoffs ended in swift defeats at the hands of the Hurricanes. In 2023, they fell in six games, an overtime loss at home ending the season. The next season, after a mid-year coaching change had Patrick Roy behind the bench, Carolina won in five games as New York's goaltending was in chaos.
After falling out of the third spot in the Metropolitan Division, facing the Hurricanes has become a real possibility. Carolina and the Buffalo Sabres are jostling for the top seed in the Eastern Conference, which will determine which Wild Card seed each plays. Neither is great, but everyone in both locker rooms knows that Carolina owns New York.
The easiest way to avoid the Hurricanes for as long as possible would be to face the Sabres in the first round. If the Islanders landed in the Buffalo Wild Card spot, they would be in the Atlantic Division quadrant of the bracket. That would set up a matchup with the winner of the Tampa Bay Lightning vs Montreal Canadiens series, as of now. But Tampa has not been kind to them either in recent years.
The dream of the Islanders jumping into the second spot in the Metropolitan Division feels dead after a brutal Canadian road trip. And even though Carolina has struggled in the playoffs in the past, they are not a good matchup for Roy's squad. Reality is hitting New York as April draws near.
The Islanders have two aces up their sleeve
There are two massive reasons to have confidence in the Islanders going into a playoff series. The first is Ilya Sorokin, who was not himself during the last playoff matchup with the Hurricanes. After another Vezina Trophy-caliber season, Sorokin will be looking for his signature playoff performance. The second is, of course, Matthew Schaefer, who has taken the league by storm at 18 years old.
Even through the struggles in recent weeks, Schaefer and Sorokin have been sensational for the Islanders. The defenseman now has 22 goals, one short of the all-time record for a rookie defenseman. And Sorokin kept the Senators' loss close until the final seconds when Brady Tkachuk finally cracked him.
If the Islanders can get into the dance, those players give fans reason for confidence. That is all the more reason to avoid the Hurricanes for as long as possible. Sorkin's worst postseason memories have come against Carolina, and they are a hard-hitting team that can knock Schaefer off his center. Rod Brind'Amour's team is built to win in the playoffs, despite their lack of success past the second round.
The Islanders' truest nightmare, however, is missing the postseason. They traded a first-round pick for Brayden Schenn at the NHL trade deadline, showing the front office knew they needed an extra piece. Even though that was the Colorado Avalanche's pick they parted with, having another 18-year-old would be better than a 34-year-old if they are not going to be contenders.
The Islanders are not in a playoff spot ahead of Sunday's matchup with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Rick Bowness' squad is on a 12-game point streak, making a regulation win feel nearly impossible after the Canadian catastrophe. But if they are going to avoid the Hurricanes, winning games now is the most important step.
