Capellini: Islanders Simply Cannot Afford To Bow Out Again In First Round

By Jeff Capellini
WFAN.com

Though the Islanders are technically the underdog in their first-round playoff series against the Panthers, they are going to be under even more pressure than usual when Game 1 gets underway Thursday night in Sunrise, Florida.

From their fans.

From those around the NHL who have been touting them for years.

From themselves.

Really, who the Isles are playing shouldn't matter. The bottom line back in 2013, when they ended a five-year run without a postseason appearance, is still the same today. Some measure of success in the postseason is long overdue.

The Islanders are reminded daily they haven't won a series since 1993. Their cup dynasty years happened so long ago they might as well have been experienced by another organization. I interact daily with tons of folks on Twitter who have never seen them win a series, period. Yet, those loyal souls still latch on to what they have been told of the past and wear the franchise's once-proud winning tradition as a badge of honor.

They pretend that the stories of the glory forged by players like Mike Bossy, Bryan Trottier, Denis Potvin, Bobby Nystrom, Clark Gillies and Billy Smith have only taken a short hiatus, when in reality winning at the level the Isles were once accustomed to has been on sabbatical for literally decades. Those younger fans thirst for a return to what they've been told was once considered normalcy.

The gray-bearded fans are pretty much in the same boat, though many of them are seriously questioning the old adage that says it's better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all. That's how long it has been since the Islanders have been truly relevant.

Hence, the crushing pressure that is hovering over this team like an anvil.

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Since 2008, the Isles have been on an upward trajectory that is best measured with a sundial. How much progress they have actually made has been open to a wide variety of interpretation. There are just so many kids with talent an organization can stockpile. Sooner or later something of significance has to happen, because it's very difficult to keep trying to sell the same mission statement to the people that pay the bills. Sometimes it feels like the Isles are content just to make the playoffs, as if that's just enough of a dangling carrot to keep the fans' interest. On other occasions, the Isles have shown glimpses of a future with no ceiling.

But the signature playoff moment of the new era of Islanders hockey still hasn't materialized.

There's no telling what this team will look like next season if it doesn't do something of note over the next several weeks. When I say "of note," I don't mean they have to win a championship. But there's no reason why they can't win a round or two. There might be one or two teams in the Eastern Conference that would present the Isles with serious matchup problems, but, in my opinion, they are on the other side of the draw.

I view the Panthers, Lightning and Red Wings as beatable teams, and I'm sure I'm not alone in that assessment, which is all the more reason why failing to at least win a round would be nothing short of a disaster, especially off a second consecutive 100-point season.

Yes, the Panthers are a big, physical team that features a nice combination of speed and skill, not to mention a veteran goalie in Roberto Luongo, who is coming off one of his best regular seasons.

But I have to question why anyone would be so in awe of a goalie whose career playoff numbers are anything but spectacular. Goalies are supposed to rule in the playoffs, yet here's Luongo with his rather pedestrian 2.54 goals-against average and .916 save percentage in the postseason scaring some people. I got news for you: Jaroslav Halak has better numbers (2.39, .924), albeit in about half as many appearances, but still a representative number.

I'm sorry, but I don't see Patrick Roy, Martin Brodeur, Jonathan Quick or Corey Crawford on the other side of the ice in this series. At least, not until proven otherwise.

That's not to say that Luongo isn't capable of being very good. It's just that the Islanders have one advantage that is not being emphasized enough. They roll four lines, an absolute must for any successful playoff team. Yes, the Anders Lee injury is troublesome, but with John Tavares seemingly finally at the top of his game and the fourth line of Matt Martin, Casey Cizikas and Cal Clutterbuck good enough to play in any situation, the Isles are still very deep and can play any style necessary.

It's just a matter of which version of their offense will show up, the one that was utterly lost during last year's seven-game loss to the Capitals and reared its ugly head on occasion this season, or the one that features Tavares playing the role of superstar like it was written specifically for him.

MORE: Capellini: He's Alive! Tavares Finally Carrying Isles Like Superstar Should

The great unknown here is Thomas Greiss and the impact injuries will have on both sides.

When the Isles signed Greiss to a two-year deal this past offseason to back up Halak, they didn't envision him as a starter. They were confident he could play in a pinch, but had no idea he'd perform as well as he has. Halak is probably still a few weeks away from his return from a groin injury and even when healthy, if the Isles are still alive, he likely will be very rusty. So, for all intents and purposes, Greiss will be the guy this postseason barring some kind of stunning run.

A No. 2 goalie throughout his seven-year career, the 30-year-old German had never played in more than 25 games in an NHL season prior to the start of the 2015-16 campaign. The concern was the uncharted territory he would enter at some point, given Halak's penchant for injury and the Isles' desire to keep their starter's workload manageable over the course of 82 games. Well, Greiss appeared in 40 games this season and finished with a .925 save percentage, good enough for third in the NHL.

The problem now is Greiss' career postseason experience is all of one game. The Islanders have to hope he again defies preconceived notions.

Getting Travis Hamonic back from a knee injury would greatly help alleviate those fears.

While it's true the Islanders have endured a slew of injuries, they could very well have their top shutdown defenseman back in the lineup for the start of this series. A lot has been made of the Isles' health concerns, but the reality is the Panthers are in a similar boat. They still have no idea how much they will have the services of defenseman Erik Gudbranson and forward Vincent Trocheck, who had 25 goals this season. The Isles are an entirely different team with Hamonic on the ice, as are the Panthers with Gudbranson and Trocheck.

The Islanders owe it to themselves, their fans and their many detractors to finally take that next step. Even though the odds are good they will continue to qualify for the postseason for years to come, they simply are not taken that seriously right now. Most everyone supposedly in the know is picking the Panthers, and it's hard to fault them for doing so. But there's nothing earth-shattering about the Islanders' opponents in the first round.

They can be taken. It's just a matter of the Islanders manning up and getting it done. It's high time they kick in the door and put their game in a higher gear.

Read more columns by Jeff Capellini and follow him on Twitter at @GreenLanternJet