The Playoff Push Begins

Excitement Builds As NHL Season Enters Its Peak

As I'm sure many of you are quite aware of, the NHL trade deadline is only 18 days away and as rumors begin to circulate, the best part of the season has commenced. I don't know about everyone else, but I've always felt that from about two weeks prior to the deadline until the end of the season is when hockey and the NHL is at its best. 

The teams already inside the playoffs are trying to find ways to remain there and gear up for a hopefully long playoff run by adding veterans who will help in key situations. It's an exciting time for fans of those teams as they look towards a run for the Stanley Cup, and the concern starts to become more about getting an ideal playoff match-up. 

For unfortunate teams like the Oilers and Blue Jackets, the focus turns to what big name player on their roster could be moved for a shiny new prospect or high draft pick, and what young studs are waiting to be selected with their pick in the entry draft. As a fan of a club that has finished 25th or worse each of the past four seasons I'm quite used to that scenario, and although you always wish your team could be sitting in a playoff spot, it's exciting to know that they will be adding some nice young players. 

Then there are the teams that are sitting just outside a playoff spot trying to find a way in. Every team in the Eastern Conference that is currently outside the playoff picture falls into that category right now, including the Islanders. In my opinion it is the most exciting of the three possibilities at this point. As Islanders fans have experienced for the past week or so, every game is extremely important and if you let even one point out of your grasp it can cost you a trip to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. 

The Islanders are trying to overcome a nine point deficit to reach the eighth playoff spot, and starting tonight, the most important stretch of games of the season begins. With four games in hand on the Senators and three home games in the next four days, this will make or break the Islanders playoff hopes. If they can win at least two of those three it becomes a lot more of a realistic possibility that the Islanders could possibly grab the eighth spot. I also hope that if they do succeed at winning two of three that Isles general manager Garth Snow begins to look at acquiring a top-four defenseman to make it a legitimate playoff push. Regardless of what ends up happening I'm sure the next few days will be very exciting for Isles fans. 


The best part of the hockey season has begun and tonight we will see if the Islanders have what it takes.