The Islanders expect to play hockey games this week.
Seriously.
Three games in 25 days, the stretch that is scheduled to end with the Islanders facing the Devils on Thursday night at UBS Arena, can certainly dull a team. They have not played since a 3-2 overtime win over the visiting Oilers on Jan. 1.
And when the Islanders do start playing again, they face a decidedly uphill climb to get back into playoff contention. At the start of play on Saturday, the Islanders were last in the eight-team Metropolitan Division and 10 points out of a wild-card spot.