That's a Wrap: New York Islanders Defeat Ottawa Senators, 4-2
Apr 9, 2017; Brooklyn, NY, USA; New York Islanders center Brock Nelson (29) scores against Ottawa Senators goalie Mike Condon (1) in the second period at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Nicole Sweet-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Islanders finished the 2016-17 campaign with their sixth straight win.

  • Ottawa Senators 2 (44-27-10, 98 points)
  • New York Islanders 4 (40-29-12, 92 points)
  • NHL, Final, Box Score
  • Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY

If only they had done this a little bit earlier…

The Islanders, officially eliminated on Saturday night after Toronto’s 5-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins, finished the season with their sixth consecutive win, a 3-1 drubbing of the playoff-bound Senators.

As many will proclaim, it was too little, too late for a team that spent the start of the season in the cellar of the Eastern Conference. But that brings us to an important point: this team never quit, and responded quite well to Doug Weight, their interim head coach.

Arthur Staple, the team’s longtime beat writer for Newsday, tabs the Isles’ impending coaching decision — to retain Weight or not to retain Weight — as one of the most important things to watch this coming offseason.

And let’s face it: It’s going to be a painfully slow offseason. But don’t fret; we’ve got you covered. We’ll spend plenty of time reminiscing at the season that was, and even more time previewing the season to come.

What a season… Anders Lee, who found his niche as one of the league’s premier inside forwards this season, recorded 33 goals after November 23, which places him second amongst all players, behind only Auston Matthews, the Maple Leafs’ rookie phenom.

Well, well, well… It’s funny to read some of the articles that members of the media, myself included, have written this season. There was a time when we were clamoring for Jean François-Bérubé to receive more playing time; for Jaroslav Hálak to be sent down for the season; for Gerard Gallant to be hired as the team’s head coach; for the Isles to tank and get the first overall pick.

It’s complicated… We ridiculed Stephen Gionta before the season began, and continued to bash him as it progressed. But here’s something surprising: he has a negative plus-minus in only two of the twenty-five games he played in. Efficient enough for the Isles to bring him back? We’ve seen crazier things happen before.

With the win… the Isles finish the season at 41-29-12 (94 points), down from 45-27-10 a season ago. There’ll be no playoffs this go round, just a lot of golfing.

Coming up next… the Isles await their fate in the 2017 NHL Draft. The lottery is expected to be held on April 29, where they’ll have less than a one percent chance of securing the top pick.

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Justin Weiss
Justin Weiss is a staff editor at Elite Sports New York, where he covers the New York Islanders and Brooklyn Cyclones. In 2016, he received a Quill Award for Freelance Journalism. He has written for the Long Island Herald, FanSided and YardBarker.

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