Let’s recap, for a quick second, what’s happened over the last month for the Islanders.
They’ve played 14 games and suffered six different injuries. That’s in addition to the two regulars who already were out long term. They’ve brought in three new defensemen to replace the three who got hurt, all of whom were castoffs in some form or another, giving up — in total — a 2026 fifth-round pick. And they have gone from 15th in the Eastern Conference, hanging on to playoff hopes by the thinnest possible thread, to just three points out of a spot, with an 11-3-0 run over which they have played their best hockey of the season.
If you’re reading this, you surely know all of that already.
It is worth repeating, though, because I’m not sure anyone has properly digested the extent of just how completely and totally insane this is.