The New York Islanders took a huge step last year by making the playoffs for the first time in six years. The Isles had been bad for the past decade but it's safe to say that they are finally back. John Tavares has established himself as one of the best hockey players on the planet. If they have designs on taking the Metropolitan Division, there's going to be a few things to happen in order for them to do that.
John Tavares
It all starts with Tavares and if he can have a repeat year like 2013 the Islanders could be contenders. He was one of the three finalists for the Hart Trophy this past year along with Alexander Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby. Now that Mark Streit has left for the Philadelphia Flyers, Tavares has been given the captain’s “C”. He's going to have to score a lot of goals for the Islanders this year and lead his team every single game. I'm really curious to see how he plays this year. Tavares was particularly impressive against the Penguins in the playoffs.
Goaltending
The Islanders goaltending over the years has been decent but it hasn't been good. Their starting goaltender right now is 38-year-old Evgeny Nabokov who's been in the league a really long time. This very could be his last year in the NHL since he is in the last year of his contract. He was too inconsistent in the playoffs against the Penguins and was pulled twice. He’ll need to be solid for the Islanders to have a chance, but might not be the answer that New York needs in net.
Beat the Penguins
The Islanders MUST beat the Penguins if they have any chance of winning this division. They also have to keep up with them. Pittsburgh has had win streaks of 10 or more each of the past few seasons, which has helped put space between them and the rest of the division. The Islanders need a winning streak or two to keep up with the Penguins throughout the season. Frankly, they need to win all of their other division games. They've already beaten Pittsburgh once this year so maybe they can build off of that.
Defense
New York has some of the more underrated defensemen in the NHL. Travis Hamonic is by far their best defenseman of the young crew. He did a great job last year in the playoffs, shutting down Evgeni Malkin and generally being the most difficult to play against. They also have Andrew MacDonald who is also very good at both ends of the ice. Lubomir Visnovsky is also a nice veteran (when he is healthy) on the blue line and can help out on the power play as well. This defensive corps needs to shut down star players in the league and protect Nabokov.
Win At Home
The Islanders are going to have to win at home this year a lot if they have any chance of catching the Penguins. This team has some of the best fans in the NHL and they've stuck with the team through thick and thin. They have an unbelievable atmosphere at the Nassau Coliseum and that should be used to their advantage. The Isles are moving to Brooklyn next season and the Long Island faithful want to send the team out on a high note. With the addition of Thomas Vanek, the front office is showing that they want to win just as much. This should be a great year for the Islanders.