Should Win, Shouldn't Lose

Isles host Blackhawks at UBS Arena

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Good Morning, Islanders Country.

It was January 19th last season. The Islanders had lost three in a row, their season under Lane Lambert was spiraling downward, and they were set to play the lowly Chicago Blackhawks. The term “must win” is often overused, but that felt like a must-win for the team and especially the coach. As we know, the Isles lost (in overtime, of course), Lambert was fired, and Patrick Roy was named head coach.

Fast forward nearly a year later, the under .500, out of the playoff picture Isles (11-12-7), are set to play a home and home against the once again lowly Chicago Blackhawks. The stakes for Roy aren’t the same as they were for Lambert, but this does feel like a pivotal two-game stretch to avoid digging themselves an even deeper hole than they are already in this season.

These aren’t must-wins, but they are two you really should win-wins if you don’t want to demoralize a fanbase that is already starting to lose its patience and perhaps hope. For all their problems and shortcomings, the Islanders are a better team than the Blackhawks (every team outside Nashville has more points). It’s fortunate to have this home and home on the schedule at this point of the season. They should and need to take advantage of it.