The Home Stretch

As the Islanders head into their matchup tonight against the Washington Capitals, a lot of Islanders fans are thinking the same thing. 

Enough already!

Every Islanders fan enjoyed last weekend's results, beating Detroit in their home rink and taking three out of four points against playoff teams. But fans are suddenly finding themselves full of worry. Have the Islanders kissed the first overall pick goodbye? Did they spoil their karma by sending Brendan Witt out during Saturday night's shootout? Did the Islanders give the Colorado Avalanche just enough room to step in and steal the 30th overall spot?

The truth is, these are things nobody can control. It doesn't make much sense to get worried. That said, Saturday's game against Tampa Bay is suddenly looming very large. The Islanders have two games in hand on the Lightning, who don't play until Friday night against New Jersey. If the Islanders win their next two games and Tampa Bay loses to the Devils, an Islanders victory over the Lightning leaves the two teams tied. That's a bit scary.

Fortunately, the Islanders play a ton of meaningful games down the stretch. Tonight, Washington can clinch the Southeast by getting one point against the Islanders. Tomorrow, the Islanders return home to face Montreal, who needs all the points they can get as they battle Florida for the eighth and final playoff spot. Next week features a home game against Philadelphia and road games in Carolina and Pittsburgh; all three of these teams are fighting each other for the all-important fourth seed and the home ice it brings. That takes us up to the final game of the season against Boston, who will have all hands on deck as they try to get one last tune-up for the playoffs.

In short? There really isn't much to worry about - though it's certainly understandable to panic. I, for one, maintain that if the Islanders play hard, all this draft stuff will take care of itself. In less than two weeks, we'll know where the Islanders stand - finally. Who says you need playoff hopes to make the end of the season exciting?