If the Islanders are serious about making the playoffs then the push starts tonight in Detroit against the Red Wings. New York has flat out stunk on the road this season and they now embark in a season defining nine game road trip.
The time for talking about improved road play is over and it is now time to walk the walk. It is time to show me. Show me you are serious about making the playoffs and that starts tonight. You can't make the post season if you can't beat teams on the road or beat teams below you in the standings. The Isles have struggled with the likes of the Hurricanes, Devils and tonight's opponents, the Red Wings.
Thomas Griess will return to the net, the defense remains the same and Cal Clutterbuck will return to the lineup. The Isles HAVE to be better in their own end and they have to be better in goal. This team can not survive with average goaltending. It is simply not possible. While their play has been awful in the defensive zone, they still need Griess to make some key saves.
Look, the Islanders have made Jaro Halak out to be this awful distraction but numbers don't lie and he is 13-1-1 in Bridgeport with a sub 2.00 GAA and a .932 save percentage. This lineup needs to be the best it can possibly be and quite frankly I don't trust J.F. Berube as he is giving me horrible flashbacks of Kevin Poulin. If Greiss can't get back on track then Halak needs to be up here "chemistry" be damned.
Tonight truly is the start of a make or break stretch. They don't need to go undefeated but at worse they need something like a run of 5-2-2 on this trip for us to take them seriously.
New York Islanders Blogger • 
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