EDMONTON, Alberta — The Islanders are set for their longest road trip in three seasons and it comes at a pivotal moment of their season.
The five-game swing over which the Islanders will cross the border four times — going to Edmonton, Vancouver, Seattle, Calgary and Detroit before finally getting back home 12 days after leaving — is the most games they have played consecutively on the road since April 1-9, 2022, also a five-game trip, though the first two games were at the Rangers and Devils.
In terms of time away from home, it is their longest trip since the 13-game trip that began the 2021-22 season as the club waited for UBS Arena to open, though they returned to Long Island to practice multiple times over that stretch, which lasted over a month.
Though it is still early in the season, the Islanders, 6-6-3 through their first 15 games, are facing a major test while still waiting for five lineup regulars to return from injury.
Alexander Romanov (upper body) traveled with the team to Edmonton and may do so at some point on this trip, but Mat Barzal (upper body), Adam Pelech (jaw), Anthony Duclair (lower body) and Mike Reilly (concussion) are not expected back anytime soon.
And while the Islanders took five points of six this week against the Penguins, Senators and Devils, going out west for nearly two weeks is an entirely different proposition.
Starting the trip in Edmonton against an Oilers team that was within one game of winning the Stanley Cup last June and which just got Connor McDavid back from injury will give the Isles an immediate idea of just how tough this will be.
After a demoralizing loss in overtime to the Devils on Saturday night, the Isles will need to shake off any lingering worries by the time they land in Edmonton.
“Take away the way we finished that game,” Casey Cizikas said. “Second half of the second [period] and third period, I thought we played good hockey. Focusing on getting pucks in and playing below their goal line, that’s one of our strengths. Take away that part of it. Apply that to this trip coming up.”
The Oilers are having their own struggles to start the season and take a 7-7-1 record into Tuesday’s game. But their offense broke out on Saturday night in a 7-3 win over the Canucks, with Leon Draisaitl and McDavid both getting on the scoresheet.
Since 2004, the Islanders have won just one game in Edmonton, holding a 1-8-3 record in the city since then.
