Now it’s on Barry Trotz to pull some more magic out of his hat.
The Islanders coach has mixed and matched pretty well over the past two games, dealing with the absence of a regular third-line center while his team managed to clinch a playoff spot with Saturday night’s rousing 5-1 win over the Sabres at the Coliseum.
That’s the situation he is going to have to continue to deal with at least deep into the first round, as the team announced Sunday that Tanner Fritz will be out six to eight weeks after having surgery to deal with a blood clot in his hand.