Mike and Dan recap a week of good and bad for the Islanders, and set up what could be a massive Canadian road trip and a home game against the Blue Jackets next Sunday.<\/p>\n
A contest in St. Louis with a lot of weird connections ended being the most Rangers-like win we\u2019ve seen in some time, using two late powerplay goals to complete a shocking overtime comeback victory. A return home meant a deflating loss to the LA Kings that saw no comeback happen, then a victory over Calgary that almost got a way from them. Overall, the games showed what the Islanders still lack: a definitive executable structure on the ice and a set line-up that maximizes everyone\u2019s strengths. There\u2019s a difference between stopgaps and solutions, and right now the Islanders seem to have more of the former than the latter.<\/p>\n
With games against the very beaten down Maple Leafs, the surging Senators and the stumbling Canadiens, the Islanders have a chance to pick up points. And they better, because next Sunday\u2019s game at UBS Arena against Columbus could mean the season. Once again, they are the mercy of their schedule and their opponents\u2019 schedules, so the time for experimentation is over. They need to treat these games like they\u2019re the playoffs. If they don\u2019t, they might miss them altogether.<\/p>\n
We also get into Mathieu Darche\u2019s longterm plan for the club, what the hell has happened to the Flyers, the struggles of the Carson Soucy-Scott Mayfield pairing and the hope that next week is finally Schenn Week.<\/p>\n