It's the most wonderful timeeee of the yearrrrrr!!! After the unbearable 82 game, 6+ month regular season, playoff hockey is FINALLY upon us. The 2 months of playoffs in the NHL is some of the most exciting stuff you can watch. Unfortunately for Islanders fans like myself, the past 23 years of not winning a playoff series has been the pits, and that 2 months of excitement is never the same. These 2015-16
Let's talk about the elephant in the room before we go any further. Did the Islanders "tank" to play the Panthers rather than the Penguins? No, no they didn't. And if you want to talk shit like Rangers coach Alain Vigneault, then I guess Jack Cappy will have to come out of no where and lay the smack down on you just like he did to AV. I am so hot and cold with Cappy, but after this epic performance by him, I'm throwing my name in the ring to be the President of his fan club.
Now that's settled let's get after the task at hand: The Atlantic Division Champion Florida Panthers. The Panthers have been on a crazy shopping spree since last season by trading for the likes of Jaromir Jágr, Roberto Luongo, Jiri Hudler, and Teddy Purcell to name a few. These vets have added some much needed experience to the Panthers core of youngin's like Aaron Ekblad, Jonathan Huberdeau and Vincent Trocheck. All around solid team, weird team, but solid team.
The Panthers also share similar playoff futility with the Isles, as they haven't won a playoff series since their 1996 miracle run to the Stanley Cup Final, only to get swept by that juggernaut Colorado Avalanche team.
Florida's starting goalie was drafted 4th overall in the 1997 draft by the Islanders and if the Panthers are going to win their first series in 20 seasons they will have to do it on the back of Bobby Lu.
On the flip side, the Islanders' goalies are a mess. What else is new. Hell the Isles goalie situation has been a mess ever since they traded Bobby Lu in 2000. Jaro Halak has been sidelined since early March after ripping up his groin. Can't really see Halak coming back anytime soon so they will have to rely on Thomas Greiss. Greiss has been shaky, to say the least, since taking over the reigns, but has shown flashes of greatness at times. Hopefully with the recent amazing news that his beautiful wife is cancer free, Thomas will ride that happiness throughout his run as the starter.
The best thing the Islanders have going for them is that Cappy finally found JT a couple of wingers. New daddy Kyle Okposo is a familiar face on The Captain's right side, and now Frans Nielsen is flanking his left side. Frans may be the 2nd best center on the team, but he has brought some life to the top line that hasn't been there in years. The 4th line is still The Best In The World like NYMWS has been telling you for 2 years and will bring physicality that some of these Panthers haven't witnessed before.
The other 6 Islanders forwards will be mixed and matched, and hopefully short shifted, because if losers like Josh Bailey and Shane Prince play any significant minutes the Isles are doomed.
There's no doubt in my mind that this will be one of long, torturous series that will cause all of us Islander fans nothing but agita, but the difference in these games will be special teams. Killing penalties and scoring with the man advantage has been something the Islanders have excelled at all year. The loss of Anders Lee will hurt the power play, but it's our client's time. Look for a MONSTER series out of BROOOOOOCKKKKKKKKK NNNNNNNEEEELLLLLLLSSSSSOOOOONNNNNN!
Islanders in 6; punching their ticket the the 2nd round at the Barclays Center because, in the words of Brooklyn's own Fabolous: Guess who's time it is?
Now cue that mother fucking music
-Clayton
PS
I really wish the Coliseum was still alive. Watching this video made my dick rock hard. #RockTheBarn
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