New York Islanders Head Into Offseason Stinging From NHL Playoff Loss
Days after being ousted from the playoffs by the Carolina Hurricanes, Anders Lee and the New York Islanders are still dealing with the stinging disappointment.
“It’s been a bummer of a few days, to be honest,” the Islanders’ captain said Monday at the team’s practice facility in East Meadow, New York. “I think we’re all just feeling it, feeling the loss and coming up short in the series. So we’re all just processing it right now and trying to bring everything together internally and mentally.”
A rough stretch in January in which they lost 10 of 11 games (1-7-3) saw the Islanders fall five points out of a wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, putting their season in danger of spiraling out of the postseason picture for a second straight year after consecutive appearances in the semifinal round of the NHL playoffs.
They made a big trade to bolster the offense by getting Bo Horvat, but had to deal with several injuries, especially star center Mathew Barzal missing the final 23 games. However, they didn’t lose more than three in a row again, won eight of their last 13 games, and got some help to earn a playoff spot with a win in their last game.
“We found ourselves in a tough spot in January, somebody told me 6% or something was the odds to make the playoffs,” center Brock Nelson said. “The belief and the never-quit in this group is one of the bigger positives to take out of it.”
