Quite a few factors could have derailed the New York Islanders’ hot streak under interim head coach Doug Weight. None did on Tuesday night.
Instead, the Islanders maintained their momentum with a 3-2 win against the Washington Capitals.
The All-Star break apparently didn’t derail the Islanders. A strong opponent in the Capitals didn’t stop them. Thomas Greiss didn’t sag after receiving cherished security in a three-year, $10 million contract extension and even the latest round of drama about their stay in Brooklyn didn’t sour things enough to push the Isles toward the “L” column.
The Islanders are now 6-0-1 in their last seven games, including a 5-0-1 mark under Weight (strangely, the Jack Capuano era ended with a 4-0 victory against the Bruins on Jan. 16). They’ve given the Capitals some real headaches, something few teams can claim this season.
Three of the Capitals' 11 regulation losses this season have come against the Islanders.
— Tom Gulitti (@TomGulittiNHL) February 1, 2017
Weight, Greiss, John Tavares and the rest of the Islanders have a lot of work to do as they continue to try to dig their way out of a serious hole.
As an interesting aside, for all the Barclays drama, the Islanders are 16-8-5 at home and 6-9-4 on the road so far this season. That disparity in home versus away contests so far in 2016-17 is yet another reminder that there could be some serious bumps in the road soon enough.
Still, with how dire things were not that long ago, the Islanders will gladly accept some hope even if such optimism might need to come with a disclaimer.