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What more can we say at this point? It’s do or die now.
The New York Islanders face elimination for the first time since Game 7 against the Philadelphia Flyers, when they soundly dispatched their opponents.
Of course, that was their third chance to also advance themselves, and it came against a team they had pretty well outplayed for most of the series.
Not so similar, this one. To escape elimination and keep this series going, it will take more of the same effort — yet even more of it, with fewer lapses — plus improved luck up and down the lineup.
A tall order, but we can expect them to be swinging, whether they go down or keep keeping on. Barry Trotz is confident his guys will be ready, come what may.
“I said to the guys, enjoy the challenge. We’re not scared of the challenge. This team has too much character and has invested too much over this whole playoffs to not leave it out there.” pic.twitter.com/hdSbAUGYib
— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) September 15, 2020
Will there be lineup intrigue? That was the general expectation between games...that Trotz would change something. (Presumably, it’s not breaking the Ladd Gladd again.)
Monitoring the league’s drone footage inside the bubble, Arthur Staple speculated some possibilities:
#Isles optional skate video posted to NHL's media site shows Ross Johnston skating (likely scratch).
— Arthur Staple (@StapeAthletic) September 15, 2020
Michael Dal Colle and Johnny Boychuk did not skate.
Could mean Dal Colle for Johnston and Boychuk for someone on D or #Isles might go 11F/7D as Tampa does.
Game time is 8 p.m. EDT. May it not be their last.