New York Islanders’ mental game a strength in win over New York Rangers

There was one hell of a statement made by the New York Islanders on Thursday night.

The New York Islanders had struggled over the last few weeks to find their game. Mentally, they had failed to get battle-ready, resulting in some pretty ugly losses. Nothing was working, and it seemed the Isles were going to limp into the Playoffs like they did a year ago, or they were going to have a collapse and fall out of contention altogether.

More from Puck Prose

• Detroit Red Wings 2023 Rookie Camp Has Plenty of Ups and Downs
• This Columbus Blue Jackets rookie doesn’t want to be forgotten
• 2 trades the Boston Bruins must make to secure the Stanley Cup
• 3 reasons the Avalanche won’t win the Stanley Cup in 2024
• This is a big year for Alex Turcotte and the Los Angeles Kings

With seven games left, the Islanders were running out of time to figure things out. After being outplayed by the Washington Capitals in three straight games, the schedule did not get any easier as they would have to fight off a desperate New York Rangers team breathing down their neck in a game with significant postseason implications.

However, for the first time in a while, the New York Islanders brought the compete level that had been missing for quite some time as they knocked off the red-hot Rangers 4-0 at Madison Square Garden last night.

The New York Islanders’ compete level was just what the doctor ordered in their win over the Rangers and must continue with six games to go.

Despite the Rangers’ position in the standings, they had found their game as of late. The Blueshirts had scored 27 goals over their last seven games (3.86 per game), while the Islanders had mustered only five over that span (0.71). To add to that abysmal stat, the Isles had been shut out in three of their last six games and had scored one goal or fewer in eight of 14.

Questions loomed, and rightfully so, about Islanders General Manager Lou Lamoriello’s decision at the Trade Deadline. Kyle Palmieri and Travis Zajac were not doing much at all. The offense showed no signs that they could be a force heading into the Playoffs, especially without Captain Anders Lee.

The Islanders may not have answered all the questions, but they proved that they can still play their game to a tee. It does not matter if they score two goals, three goals, or six goals. They give themselves the chance to play Islanders hockey when they garner a lead, which results in victories.

This season the Islanders are now 21-1-2 when they score first. When they are leading after two periods, they are now 14-0-1. We call that mental toughness, as Barry Trotz’s team believe in what they do and know how to lock down hockey games.

The Islanders found the back of the net Thursday night early and did not allow the hot Rangers offense to garner possession in their zone at all. Semyon Varlamov had a relatively easy night in goal as he continued his strong play against the Rangers this season, specifically on Madison Square Garden ice. He is now 3-0-0 on Broadway with three shutouts this season, six in total to lead the NHL.

While the goals were a must for this team, that was not the only thing to like about their game last night. Although the lines seemed to work out, that was not the main reason for the win.

Coach Trotz was spot on. From puck drop, the Islanders were the first to loose pucks. They garnered offensive zone time often and took shots when given the opportunity. They were hungry, and after starving for seven games offensively, they created enough chances for themselves to get out to a dominant lead. The Isles could have easily put up six or more in this competition as, even after eating, they were still hungry for more.

The Rangers have yet to show up in big games and showed Thursday night why they will more than likely not be competing in this year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs. They have been consistently inconsistent this season but regardless, they are not an easy team to beat, let alone shut out.

When these two rivals play, records can be thrown out the window.

No, Blueshirts netminder Igor Shesterkin did not have the best numbers against the Islanders coming into this game, but it was not about who was in the net. It was just about pucks crossing the goal line. It was also who scored the key goals. Mat Barzal, Oliver Wahlstrom, and Leo Komarov each got the monkeys off their back.

Barzal’s goal was his first in 13 games, an empty-netter but a goal nevertheless. Wahlstrom, who has been in and out of the lineup due to lackluster play, saw his confidence spike after sniping on the power play. And Komarov netted his first goal of the season after plenty of opportunities on the Islanders’ top line.

But again, it was the mindset of this team that allowed them to come away with the crucial two points.

It’s about every player up and down the lineup doing what they have to do to help the team win.

The Islanders were dominant in last year’s postseason due to four lines rolling. While the second-line of Anthony Beauvillier, Brock Nelson, and Josh Bailey led the offense, each line played a role in their Eastern Conference Finals finish. With only six games to go, the Islanders need to have all four lines rolling.

After ending Saturday night as a combined minus-three in a 6-1 loss to the Capitals, the fourth-line had a nice bounce-back performance against the Rangers.

It was just a big night for everyone.

The compete level we saw Thursday night was a compete level that had been missing dearly from this lineup. This compete level must carry into their game Saturday against the Rangers, as a win clinches them a Playoff spot.

So how much can the Islanders take away from a game like this when their problem has been their play against the top teams in the division?

Confidence. Momentum. This was a big game for the New York Islanders, who could have seen the Rangers three points behind them when the night ended. If the Blueshirts were able to win last night, that would be four losses in a row for this Islanders team, mentally draining losses. Carrying momentum from one game to another has been an issue for this Islanders club and given their remaining schedule, they have an opportunity to go into the Stanley Cup Playoffs on the right foot.

And that is immeasurable.