New York Islanders: 2018-19 was no fluke, but a beginning

The 2018-19 season has come to a close for the New York Islanders. The Isles surpassed every expectation set upon them this season, but was it a fluke?

Success has not been a word that’s been used to describe the New York Islanders since the mid-’80s, but in 2018-19 they were one of the more successful teams in the NHL.

The Isles finished second in the Metropolitan Division. They advanced to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs for only the second time since 1993. NYI did so by sweeping the vaunted Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round, winners of two of the last three Stanley Cups. In the process, the Isles held Sidney Crosby pointless in the opening three games of the series.

The Islanders momentum can to a screeching halt when they were swept by Carolina in the second round. In the sweep, they were outscored 13-5 in four games. This has led many to believe that maybe the Islanders season was really a fluke after all.

Low expectations to start

Just about everyone had the Islanders finishing last, or close to last in the NHL coming into this season. Skeptics saw a team that they lost their franchise player, John Taveras, brought in a new head coach, Barry Trotz, and had no solid home arena.

All of those issues were in addition to coming off a disappointing season in which they finished second to last in the Metropolitan with only 80 points. They were also in the same division as both Pittsburgh and the defending cup champion, Washington Capitals.

No one had high hopes for the Islanders at the start of the 2018-19 season as the deck appeared to be stacked against them. They did, however, have a few aces in the hole.