Islanders Complete 2023 Stanley Cup Playoff Field

The field of 16 is complete! Only three games took place on this Wednesday, April 12, but the main one was the only one not aired on TNT: the meeting between the Montreal Canadiens and the New York Islanders. The Islanders were looking to nab the 16th and last playoff spot left on the board; it was between them and the Pittsburgh Penguins, who had been playoff bound for 16 straight years. For the Islanders, this was their 82nd and last game of the regular season, and they had an easy scenario: all they needed was one point, just get to overtime. It was a close affair; the Isles led 2-1 after the first 2o minutes. Brock Nelson had a goal in the first, and added one in the second to make it 3-1. It was 3-2 after 40, but Anders Lee's power play goal with 4:00 left in regulation started the countdown, and New York knows a thing about countdowns.

When the final horn sounded, the Islanders were playoff bound for the fourth time in the last five years, snatching the last spot remaining. The Isles had been fluctuating for a good bit of the season, and they were coming off missing the playoffs in a chaotic 2021-22 season that saw the team fire Barry Trotz as head coach--despite the fact that it was the only time they missed the playoffs under Trotz. The current run saw the Isles reach Round 2 in 2019, and then there was 2020 and 2021, both years seeing the Isles in the Eastern Conference Final (known as the Stanley Cup Semifinals in 2021), only to be ousted narrowly by the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The Islanders have fascinated me during this run, and the reason for this is simple. Despite offense increasing in this league, the Islanders doing it with defense. They are one of only two playoff teams scoring less than three goals per game (2.94 GFA, only the Minnesota Wild has a lower average). They only have one 30+ goal scorer, and to the surprise of no one, it's Brock Nelson, who has played all 82 games and scored 36 goals this season, with his last two coming in Game #82. He leads the team in goals, assists (39), and points (75), meaning that once again, the Isles have no players averaging a point per game.

With the offense at a standstill, the Isles have had to rely heavily on goaltending. Enter Ilya Sorokin, who has been making noise for a few years now, but in New York, he ended up in the shadow of his Rangers counterpart, the Vezina-winning Igor Shesterkin. This year, Sorokin's efforts have been noticed...immensely. His numbers this year: 31-22-7, 2.34 GAA, .924 SV%, and six shutouts! Six! Which begs the question: why is no one talking about Sorokin winning the Vezina this year? Honestly, the three Vezina finalists should be Sorokin, Linus Ullmark, and Alexandar Georgiev. Again, six shutouts. In a league with an inflated offense. That's a big time accomplishment.

So once again, the Sweet 16 is all filled up, and for the first time since 2006, it will not include the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Islanders' regular season is over, but their playoff opponent will be determined by the season's final few days. The Islanders will start their postseason in one of the three following cities: Boston, Raleigh, or Newark. The playoff puzzle is almost finished. The 16 teams are in, now it's a matter of positioning. The final days of the season will fill in those missing pieces.

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