NHL

Islanders taking positives despite slow start: ‘No doubt in my mind’

By
Ethan Sears
Published Oct. 14, 2024, 12:42 a.m. ET

DENVER — The tone out of t🐲he Islanders’ dressing room Saturday night was optimistic.&n๊bsp;

They liked the way they started against Dallas, they liked the way they played defen🌃sively and they noted how well Jake Oettinger played in shutting them out, 3-0. 

“I thought it was a good game tonight from us,” Casey Cizikas said, echoing the general sentiment. “We just gotta cont💞inue playing like that on this ♋road trip.” 

Patrick Roy reacts during the Islanders' loss to the Stars on Oct. 12, 2024.
Patrick Roy reacts during the Islanders’ loss to the Stars on Oct. 12, 2024. AP

A little overly optimistic? Perhaps.

But moral wins are not going to be enough for much longer, and starting the season with a third𓃲 straight defeat Monday night against the Avalanche would only increase the pressure on the Islanders to start producing real victories. 

As soon as the schedule was released, it was obviou♌s that the opening run of games — home to Utah before going to Dallas, Colorado and St. Louis — would be an immediate challenge and that has been exactly how it’s played out.

The Avalanche, still seeking their first win of the season but with firepower that includes Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar and a pedigree that includes the 2023 Stanley Cup, will provide no let൩up. 

While much of the night will focus on Patrick Roy’s return to Colorado, where he coached from 2013-16ဣ, the fact that one of these projected playoff teams will exit the building winless in three games adds a little more importance than might otherwise be attached to a game in the third week of October. 

“On my side, if we keep playing like this🍬, I know we’re gonna win our share of games,” Roy said Saturday after the Islanders nearly doub🍷led up the Stars on high-danger chances (11-6, per Natural Stat Trick). “There’s no doubt in my mind.” 

Tha♚t may be. But going to St. Louis without a win is not how anyone envisioned this opening stretch, tough as it looked. Ditto for the Avalanche, who have stunningly allowed 14 goals in their first two games, including a 6-4 loss to a Blue Jackets team that figures to be among the worst in the league. 

One of these teams will plunge further into the deep end. For the Islanders, avoiding that scenario 🧸is paramount. 

The Islanders have lost four straight games at Ball Arena, with their last win in the building co💎ming Dec. 17, 2018ℱ by a 4-1 score. 

While playing for the Avalanche, Roy had 💟nine wins over the Islanders, with six coming in Colorado, per team statistic🦄ian Eric Hornick. 

The Islanders did not practice ༺Sunday after traveling to Denver.