The New York Islanders are doing much better than I expected them to do to this point in the season. Sitting at 11-6-0 and fourth in the league by points (sixth by points percentage), they have certainly increased their postseason chances. In the interest of staying balanced and level-headed, it is worth pointing out that in the tough Eastern Conference, they sit only three points clear of the cut line, and they have had some games where they look less than stellar or have had to come back. Still, they have done well to navigate their difficulties and bank points. They will probably get back on the plane today to head down to Nashville, as I learned from the post-game comments on Monday that they planned to head back to Long Island for a day before heading back out. While they were home, they made a roster move. Islanders News The Isles are feeling pretty good after starting this road stretch with a win over the Ottawa Senators. [Newsday] Andrew Gross carcasted with Greg Picker while they drove from Ottawa to Montreal. [Island Ice]