Islanders Playoff Odds Tank With Blown Opportunities
The Islanders may have squandered any chance at a playoff run with a losing week against playoff contenders however, there are a few reasons to believe
The New York Islanders entered what could have been a pivotal week for their playoff chances with a great opportunity to solidify themselves as a Wild Card team facing the Carolina Hurricanes and Winnipeg Jets as well as wild card contenders in the Detroit Red Wings and the New Jersey Devils.
A winning week could have put the Islanders firmly into the Wild Card picture, however the team dropped three of four games. Accordingly, their playoff probability fell to 5.3% on MoneyPuck.
The betting odds agree that they're now massive longshots, with -720 odds to miss the postseason.
The Islanders sit with 75 points four points back of the Capitals who have a game in hand with eleven games left in the Islanders season while the Red Wings sit a point ahead of the Isles.
The worst losses of the week are the losses to the Red Wings and the Devils, allowing both teams to stay in the Wild Card race. Where things get especially bleak for the Islanders is their upcoming schedule, as they'll face three playoff teams this next week in the Panthers, Lightning, and Flyers. The team will also face the Rangers twice and the Predators once, and both of those teams will likely still be playing for playoff seeding.
The Islanders do have several winnable games ahead as they'll face the Blackhawks, Canadiens, Penguins, and Devils, which will need to be a near sweep for any shot at the playoffs. If the Islanders are going to make the postseason they'll need better production from the offense as the team is averaging 2.1 goals per game over their last ten games while being shut out four times.
Can Sorokin elevate his game?
If the Islanders are going to make a push for the postseason their fate lies in the hands of Ilya Sorokin. We've seen hot goaltending carry teams into deep playoff runs elevating a poor offense in the past and if anyone has the ability to do it it's Ilya Sorokin. The offense has struggled for most of the year meaning now more than ever the Islanders need their star goaltender to put the team on his shoulders. If Sorokin can help the team steal games against the Panthers, Rangers, and Lightning while the offense takes advantage of the worse teams than the Isles may find themselves in the final wild card spot.