What To Expect

Isles look for third straight in Vegas Baby, Vegas

Good Morning, Islanders Country.

The phrase has been around forever - what to expect when you’re expecting. Usually, it’s whispered over baby showers and doctor visits, not hockey practices. But for the New York Islanders, it fits just fine right now.

Scott Mayfield missed practice on Wednesday, as he was away from the team to await the birth of his first child with his wife. It’s the kind of absence everyone smiles about - the best type of “day-to-day.”

But that phrase - what to expect when expecting - isn’t just about family. It’s about transition, uncertainty, and hope. It’s about knowing something meaningful is on the way, but not quite knowing how it will arrive.

And that’s this Islanders team, right now.

They’ve shown flashes of what they could be - resilient, exciting, and dare we say, fun. They’ve also shown growing pains - the penalties, the lapses, the stretches where they look like they’re waiting for something to click.