Why the Islanders’ uncertain playoff hopes depend on a fast return to health and form

Detailed summary

Falling too far behind too soon can make it an impossible climb to get into the playoffs, even with lots of season to go.

LOS ANGELES — You can’t say it’s getting late early for the Islanders. Not yet. But, if you were getting ready to head to dinner with them, you might be starting to peek nervously at the clock while they get ready.

The state of play as the Islanders took in a day off in a sun-splashed Los Angeles before Thursday’s match against the Kings had them three points out of a playoff spot and four points out of the wild card, sitting at 7-6-4 on the back of four straight defeats, two of which came in overtime. The belief is that Ryan Pulock, Matias Maccelli and Mathew Barzal will all be back soon but exactly when that means — Thursday? Saturday in Anaheim? Next Tuesday back at home against Columbus? — is both unclear, and could vary from player to player.

Coach Pete DeBoer’s words on Tuesday, though, felt aimed in part at reminding everyone that when they do come back, it won’t simply be a matter of stepping into the lineup and playing at the highest level right away. That is especially the case for Barzal, who didn’t have a training camp and hasn’t played since April.

“It’s hard to get those guys to game speed and game ready, but we’re working at it,” DeBoer said.

Opening of the article, excerpted from New York Post. To read the rest, open the article on the publisher's site.