The New York Islanders snapped their two-game skid on Saturday inside Madison Square Garden, kicking off what’s to be a massive seven-game road trip through the heart of November.
For the final six teams on this road trip, it’s the first meeting of the season for the Islanders, all except against the Detroit Red Wings at the tail end of the trip. All six teams are at least two games above .500, and all but Detroit and Utah are in the top two of their division.
Starting strong against the struggling New York Rangers became almost a must-win for the Islanders, as the Blueshirts are currently the worst team they’ll face during this gauntlet away from UBS Arena.
Tonight, the first game will be against the New Jersey Devils, the last game in the Eastern Time Zone for 10 days for the Islanders.
The Devils have won three of their last four games, and will be a team that enjoys playing with speed in the same way the Islanders do. The key to surviving against them will be structured play, otherwise New Jersey can poke some serious holes in New York’s defense.
After tonight, the Islanders ship out west, beginning with a Thursday night game in Las Vegas, where the Golden Knights await. Through their first seven trips against Vegas, New York’s gone 4-3-0, with Vegas being a top team every year throughout their franchise’s history.
This year, Vegas added Mitch Marner, making a deadly team that much more dangerous.
The very next night, the Utah Mammoth plays host to the Islanders, kicking off what will be three-straight games against Central Division foes, all against teams with a record above .500.
It’s a quick turnaround for New York, bouncing between time zones for a road back-to-back against high-speed teams, something that could easily exhaust the Islanders.
Unfortunately for the Islanders, the road isn’t getting any easier after that. After just one off day, they’ll be in Denver for a Sunday night clash with Brock Nelson and the Colorado Avalanche. The game would be Calum Ritchie’s first against the team that drafted him, too.
Colorado is 10-1-5 thus far, and on Saturday decimated the Edmonton Oilers 9-1. It’s not going to be easy by any stretch of the word.
In case you think it gets any easier, the Islanders close up the Western swing 48 hours later, squaring off with the Dallas Stars in Texas.
If you’re exhausted just thinking about playing Vegas, Utah, Colorado and Dallas, just remember those four games come in six days, with long travel dotting the way, including that time-zone switch between Vegas and Utah.
Every single point the Islanders can earn out west will be monumental, as the schedule is nothing less than a brutal gauntlet against some of the best teams in the NHL in an abbreviated trip.
It all ends next Thursday, when on the way back home from Texas, the Islanders fly northeast to Detroit, where the Red Wings host the Islanders. The Islanders pummeled Detroit 7-2 in UBS Arena on October 23, when Detroit came in on the second half of a back-to-back.
Last year, the Red Wings swept the Islanders, with all results coming in regulation.
Nothing’s a given about this road trip. If the Islanders can scratch a .500 or better record over the next six games, it’ll go a long way to keeping them in the fight.
During a compressed schedule due to the Olympics in February, survival over the long haul becomes the biggest key.
While obviously dominating on this road trip and going on a run would be the best-case scenario, it’s a brutal stretch for any team. Just gritting out points to keep themselves afloat is the biggest key throughout this run.
After this stretch of games, the Islanders get rewarded with a seven-game home stretch, and 13 of their next 17 at UBS Arena, with the all 17 getting played inside the Eastern Time Zone.
It all starts tonight in New Jersey, with puck drop coming just after 7 o’cloc
