Jordan Eberle knows making the declaration now sounds a little crazy.
But given the Islanders’ paucity of home games in the early-season schedule and the long breaks in between contests, the right wing believes there’s extra urgency against the Panthers on Wednesday night at Barclays Center.
“These are huge points and [Wednesday] is a must-win in my opinion,” Eberle said after Tuesday’s practice at Northwell Health Ice Center in East Meadow. “I know it’s game No. 8 and you don’t want to put a lot of emphasis and start thinking about that, but it’s a must-win for us.