TAMPA, Fla. – The Metropolitan Division-leading Islanders play their 15th game of the season on Thursday night as they open a two-game Florida swing against the Lightning. That moves them closer to coach Barry Trotz’s first deadline for assessing his new team’s power play.
“I think it’s still a work in progress and it will be,” Trotz said after Wednesday’s practice at Amalie Arena, of which approximately two-thirds was spent working on special teams. “Some guys are still struggling with some of the concepts, when to move the puck and when not to. We’re going to go the first 20 (games) and then re-assess it, personnel wise, making sure we have the right people in the right spots.