The team’s focus was all on Sunday night as the Islanders resumed their season against the Dallas Stars at UBS Arena after a two-week break for the inaugural 4 Nations Face-off Tournament while getting defensemen Ryan Pulock and Scott Mayfield back into the lineup.
But, bigger picture, there was also a keen understanding of how important these next six games over 10 days, starting on Sunday and leading into the NHL trade deadline on March 7, are toward determining their playoff fate.
“I think that would be lying if anybody told you no,” defenseman Tony DeAngelo told Newsday. “Just as far as standings, we’re playing huge games. We get the Rangers twice, we get the Bruins. These are four-point games now. There’s still time, no matter what happens, in the season. But when you have chances to make up these four-point games, you’ve got to take advantage of them. It’s definitely important.”
So two things could be true at once. The Islanders spent their four practices leading into Sunday night’s match locked into the Stars and trying to get off to a good start after the NHL hiatus against one of the tougher teams in the Western Conference. But there was no way to ignore the importance of hosting the Rangers on Tuesday night and then playing at Madison Square Garden the following Monday plus Thursday night’s trip to Boston.
“We know what’s going on,” Anders Lee told Newsday. “We know the importance of the next two weeks here. Right off the bat, you look at these first three games and you’ve got tough matchups those first three nights and big points on the line, especially with New York and Boston and where all three of us stand.”
The Islanders, Rangers and Bruins are all in a nine-team pack battling for the two Eastern Conference wild-card spots, with the Sabres still having an outside chance of making it a 10-team chase.
The Islanders know they simply cannot afford regulation losses to the Rangers and Bruins.
Toward that end, having Pulock and Mayfield return is a definite boost to the Islanders’ chances.
Both were activated off injured reserve on Saturday. Pulock missed seven games after suffering an upper-body injury when the Hurricanes’ Jackson Blake clipped his skates 15 seconds into a 3-2 overtime win on Jan. 25. Mayfield was sidelined four games with a lower-body injury after the Lightning’s Luke Glendening checked him into the end wall in the Islanders’ 3-2 overtime road win on Feb. 1.
Mayfield made it clear on Tuesday when the Islanders resumed practicing he’d be ready to play on Sunday. Pulock spent the Islanders’ first two practices this week in an orange, non-contact jersey before being cleared for contact on Thursday.
“It’s great,” Pulock said. “It’s tough when you’re missing time. Fortunately for me, the two-week break was huge. It feels good, the last few days, to be back with the team and back just getting ready to play.”
Coach Patrick Roy, who successfully integrated DeAngelo, Scott Perunovich and Adam Boqvist into the defense corps with Pulock, Mayfield and Noah Dobson all injured, chose to separate Pulock from longtime partner Adam Pelech. Instead, Pulock started Sunday’s match skating with Perunovich.
“Watching him when I was out, he moves well, he battles,” Pulock said. “He’s got good offensive instincts.
“I think they’re all great,” Pulock added when asked about how the defense’s efforts while he was injured. “Some big minutes for guys at times. Guys stepping up in different situations. There were games where they all looked really good.”
Notes & quotes: Defenseman Mike Reilly (heart condition/long-term injured reserve) participated in the optional morning skate, though Roy said he has not been cleared for contact and there is still no timetable for any potential return. Reilly has been out since suffering a concussion on Nov. 1. “Things are going well,” Roy said. “He hasn’t really practiced with the team. If we had a regular practice, he probably would not be on the ice . . . It is very inspiring. From the moment that he got hurt in Buffalo to today, he went through a lot. It’s nice to see that he wants to continue and he wants to come back.” . . . Boqvist and Matt Martin were the healthy scratches.
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.
