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Good Morning, Islanders Country.
If you weren’t sure what mediocrity looks like, it closely resembles the first 41 games of the New York Islanders’ season - a series of spurts and stops, encouraging moments mixed in with discouraging results. But more than anything else, it’s a product of chronic inconsistency.
Each stretch of games doesn’t resemble the previous one, and the ebbs and flows of the season have left the fanbase swaying weekly from thinking this team can make a run to wishing they’d firmly be in the Connor Bedard sweepstakes.
What’s the cause of this? Kevin Kurz passes the blame around in The Athletic, calling out everything from a room unable to break bad habits to a coaching staff that hasn’t had answers to fix an inefficient power play. Not to mention, as we’ll get into a later, a front office that double-downed on this roster in the off-season.
The Isles wake up this morning again on the outside of the Eastern Conference playoff picture, even in points with the Pittsburgh Penguins, who have played two fewer games. The upstart Buffalo Sabres are also lurking.
There’s a thin line between mediocre and good enough.
Each time this team gives you a reason to believe they will be good enough to sneak into the playoffs as a wild card, they follow up with reasons to make you wonder if their playoff hopes are a mirage.
The second half of the season will determine which way they fall on that thin line.
Coming up, hoping Barzal’s little tweak doesn’t become a big problem and Lou’s inactive off-season looms as the team struggles. Plus, Zach Parise’s ROI is among the best in the league, the 2006-07 team becomes the first to win 3x at MSG, and Jordan Eberle sings the blue(s) and orange.
Let’s dive in.
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