It’s now or never for the Islanders, who head home for Wednesday’s match against Tampa Bay bruised and battered, a five-game losing streak in hand. 

Throughout the year, the team has displayed streaky performances. With only nine games remaining in the season and trailing by three points in the wild-card race, the current moment presents an opportunity for them to unleash some magic.

The upcoming schedule includes four out of five matches at their home arena. While the competition is tough, with teams like the Lightning, Wild, Capitals, and Rangers set to play at UBS, along with a visit to Nashville in between the last two games, the Islanders have shown strength at home. In March, they managed to secure at least a point in all but one game played on Long Island. 

They’ll need more than one in most of these, though.

And they’ll need to reverse what’s been a costly spiral of late, with their defense and goaltending having struggled through the last week. 

Reflecting on their recent 6-4 loss to Carolina, Kyle Palmieri emphasized the importance of execution and finding ways to secure victories during this crucial time of the season. It is not solely about learning from errors but about stepping up and delivering on the ice.

Despite their recent struggles, the Islanders have stuck around the playoff cutline mostly because the Rangers, Blue Jackets, Canadiens and Red Wings have struggled just as much. 

Needless to say, none look like inspiring picks to pull a first-round upset against the Caps, who will almost certainly face whichever team finishes atop the mud pile. 

The Islanders, though, would very much like to give themselves the chance to do just that. 

Per Tankathon, their remaining schedule is the eighth toughest in the league, but the good news is that Detroit, Columbus and the Rangers all have harder slates.

The Canadiens, however, have the fifth easiest — and just scored a huge two points against the Panthers on Sunday. 

If any one of the five teams can find their stride, even for just a week, the race could be effectively over in short order given how everyone else is playing. 

And as long as the Islanders keep struggling, they’re putting themselves at risk of being on the wrong end of that equation. 

The Islanders announced the signing of winger Joey Larson, a 24-year-old Michigan State product, to a one-year, entry-level contract starting in 2025-26.

Larson had 24 points (10 goals, 14 assists) in 37 games played with the Spartans this season. 

Larson is the second college free agent the Islanders have signed after Gleb Veremyev (Colorado College).

AHL Bridgeport also recently gave a tryout contract to Max Dorrington (Sacred Heart) and brought over 2024 second-round pick Jesse Pulkkinen from Finland.