The Islanders’ season has been like a rollercoaster. They played well  in the very beginning. However, in the midseason they started losing momentum and fired coach Lane Lambert because they were losing a lot and his coaching didn’t seem to inspire the players. The Islanders fell into 7th place in their division.

Towards the end of the season, Rangers fans thought their rivals were out of the playoffs. However, a late surge propelled them into the playoffs. Their 6-game win streak kept their playoff hopes alive.  Although a recent loss to the Rangers in a shootout was painful. A late period goal by the Rangers’ Breadman, Artemi Panerin, forced OT and then a shootout where they failed to score against Igor Shesterkin.  These Islanders are tough. They bounced back and beat the Devils to secure a spot.

The Islanders might not be the best NHL team but they have some key players you might want to look out for.  Mathew Barzal, Bo Horvat, Brock Nelson  and Noah Dobson are great players. Minding the net are Ilya Sorokin and Semyon Varlamov. Varly has stepped up his game to get them wins.

The Islanders will play the Hurricanes again in the first round. They played them in the playoffs last season and lost to them in six games. Hopefully there will be a better outcome.