Something to file under one of the more obvious results of Newton's Third Law within hockey's fundamental principles is that the New York Islanders are struggling to find the back of the net since trading away Brock Nelson.
The offense has dried up for a team that never got out of the NHL's trade-deadline limbo. While the selling of Nelson — one of the best forwards the franchise had in the last 30-plus years, with 30-plus goals in each of the last three seasons — indicated that the Islanders were finally going to sell and break up their core, it did not happen, though general manager Lou Lamoriello all but guaranteed sweeping changes this summer.
It leaves head coach Patrick Roy's men stuck between hockey's rock and a hard place. With 17 games to go, they are only four points out of the final Wild Card playoff berth in the Eastern Conference. But they have scored just three goals in their last three games and still have four teams sitting between them and that final postseason spot.
Obviously, not the formula necessary for clawing into a playoff spots.
"We'd like to see us score more goals, there's no doubt about it," Roy said after the Islanders' 2-1 overtime loss to the defending Western Conference-champion Edmonton Oilers. "...I have faith in our group and I believe eventually the puck will go in. That's who I am and that's what I believe in. When you do good things, good things happen."
His squad has been creating chances even after Nelson was sent to the Colorado Avalanche for a package headlined by a first-round pick and 20-year-old up-and-coming center Calum Ritcihe. They are averaging roughly 32 shots per game during their drought, though Friday night's loss to Edmonton featured a measly four high-danger chances.
Still, they had a combined 18 high-danger chances in their previous two games — a pair of 4-1 losses to the Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings.
Perhaps missing the playoffs would help the Islanders out more, which is the more logical train of thought from outside the organization. They finally have a consistent slew of first-round picks and the prospect cupboard is remarkably bare. The higher their pick is this summer, the better.
But for a locker room which features a core of players that has been together for the better part of the last decade, the last month of the season provides one more go at the playoffs. The puck has to start finding the back of the net a bit more consistently to provide one last ride.
Granted, they will have to do it while possessing the fifth-toughest remaining schedule in the league.