VANCOUVER, British Columbia — The suggested notion that the Islanders need to “salvage” their season irked captain Anders Lee.
However, there’s no doubt the Islanders’ recent play has endangered their playoff chances and coach Barry Trotz acknowledged his team has been “a little bit fragile lately.” The team has another chance to change that narrative with its last lengthy road trip of the season, a four-game swing that opens on Tuesday night against the Canucks at Rogers Arena.
The Islanders, off on Sunday as they traveled to Vancouver, began the day holding the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference after Saturday afternoon’s 3-2 overtime loss to the Hurricanes at NYCB Live’s Nassau Coliseum.