Three Reasons the Islanders Can Make the Playoffs

This is something that I didn’t think I’d be writing after two periods of hockey last night. With 16 games left in their season, the New York Islanders are very much alive in this playoff race.

This despite a litany of injuries all season long, with the most prominent injury to Mathew Barzal, who has played just 30 games all year. The entire defense from the opening night lineup has suffered injuries and missed 10 or more games. Oh, and just for good measure, the team traded their leading goalscorer for the last three years at the trade deadline.

Yet, somehow, someway, this team woke up this morning almost entirely controlling their destiny for the playoffs.

Yes, that is an insane statement. But it’s also true. The New York Islanders woke up just four points outside the final playoff spot while holding two games in hand on the New York Rangers. Those Rangers sit in the second wild card spot this morning.

On April 10, the Islanders play the Rangers one final time this season. The Islanders also have other key games on the docket. This Thursday, the Montreal Canadiens come to town. The Habs are ahead of the Rangers by points percentage, but with one loss that will change.

There are three clear reasons the Islanders can make the playoffs, as insane and unlikely as it is.

Reason #1: Head to Head Matchups:

The biggest card still in the Islanders’ hands is their head-to-head matchups. The Islanders play Montreal on Thursday, have two more against the Columbus Blue Jackets, and an April 10 date with the Rangers.

The only real path to the playoffs begins and ends with winning those games. Obviously, one of the biggest issues for the Islanders this year is winning those four-point games. They are 0-3-0 against the Rangers while being outscored 14-3 across all three matchups.

Back in October and November, the Islanders played the Detroit Red Wings three times. They scored three goals in those games combined and went 0-3-0 against Detroit. Had the Islanders gone even just 2-4-0 against the Wings and Rangers, they’d be in a playoff spot right now.

In the season’s final few weeks, the Islanders can flip that script. If they win their head-to-head matchups, there’s a clear and well-defined path.

Reason #2: Ilya Sorokin

After the Toronto Maple Leafs swept a home-and-home that kicked off 2025, Ilya Sorokin’s been on another level.

Since January 5, Sorokin is 14-7-1 with a .915 save percentage and a 2.53 goals-against average. He’s posted two shutouts and has single-handedly kept the Islanders in so many games.

Against the San Jose Sharks, the Islanders were outshot 17-1 to begin the game, but the score remained 0-0. Against the Edmonton Oilers this past Friday, a similar situation played out. Sorokin’s return to Vezina-like form is keeping this team afloat.

If Sorokin continues to sparkle and will his team into wins, then they absolutely can make the playoffs. The Islanders only have two back-to-backs for the rest of the year. It’s quite likely Sorokin will play another 14 games as the starter. That’d give him a career-high 63 starts and a total of 64 appearances. It’s quite the workload, but he’s been elite since the start of 2025.

Reason #3: They’ve Done it Before

This is the thing Head Coach Patrick Roy has pointed to numerous times this season. Last year, the team lost six straight games in March, normally a death sentence for any team fighting for a spot.

Instead, Roy’s men clutched up and went 8-0-1 in the final nine games and made the playoffs decisively, even earning the Metropolitan Division’s third seed. Of course, those Islanders then lost in five quick games to the Carolina Hurricanes, but this article isn’t about playoff success.

It’s solely about why they can get there. Experience is a big help in these times. The young Montreal Canadiens and Columbus Blue Jackets have never been in a race like this before. The Red Wings flamed out last year and have, by far, the hardest remaining strength of schedule in the NHL. The Rangers have not consistently won all season.

The Islanders know this grind. They’ve done it for the last two years now. In 2023, they did it without Barzal all the same. Can it happen again? Absolutely. There’s a path for the Islanders, they just have to take it.