Isles have a “playoff hockey” identity, but they aren’t a good team
Next to the Carolina Hurricanes and the New York Rangers, the Metropolitan Division had no good teams, and the Isles were the best out of a bad bunch. That said, they have the “look” of a team raring to play playoff hockey, as they are one of the most physical groups in the league, with an underrated group of scorers in their top-six.
But their inconsistencies all season, albeit a six-game winning streak that got them back into the playoff conversation and strong finish, including an 8-0-1 mark in April 2024, have haunted this team all season. Remember, the Isles went 2-7-1 between their six-game streak and their 8-0-1 stint.
They also went 3-7-3 in January, and before winning their final two games in February, New York was 3-3-2 that month. Overall, Carolina was the more consistent team throughout the entire season, while New York has been nothing but streaky - including a 5-0-2 start to December.
It’s possible the Isles keep up their big winning streaks, or at least points streaks in Round 1 of the 2024 playoffs. But if recent history implies anything, it’s that New York has yet to show they can be anything more than elite or abysmal, depending on what team decides to show up. Unfortunately for them, they’re coming into the postseason following an ‘elite’ cycle, which doesn’t bode well.
(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)