Peter Laviolette has no doubts that his Islanders will be one of the eight teams left standing when all is said and done.
At times during the early and recent parts of this tumultuous season, it has appeared that the Islanders were done before the turn of the New Year. But because of the people in the Islanders room, Laviolette has all the faith in the world in his team.
“You cannot be serious,” is how John McEnroe might respond to the coach talking about such things after the Islanders have lost half the games they played going into last night’s Coliseum match against Detroit.
“There’s quality people in the room,” Laviolette said. “People who care about winning . . . going to the playoffs.”
Laviolette wasn’t talking about just the core players like Michael Peca, Chris Osgood and Alexei Yashin. He was also talking about the supposed dead wood on the roster, too, including Oleg Kvasha, a healthy scratch three of the last five games.
“Everybody’s one of those people,” he said.
After a brutal loss Saturday at the hands of the Southeast Division-leading Lightning, falling behind 3-0 before the game was half-over, it appeared the Islanders were regressing.
Thought to be an important two-game trip through Sunrise and Tampa, the Islanders talked a big game about not losing focus and needing the four possible points to get out of last place and within striking distance of the No. 8 seed in the East.
However, they got only one point in a tie with the Panthers Friday. That was a game the Isles should have won but escaped with only a tie because of the great play of goalie Chris Osgood in OT. The next night, supposedly disappointed and ticked off over the lack of effort against the Cats, the Islanders trailed the entire game thanks to a Tampa goal just 12 seconds into the first period.
It was after that loss, which saw the Islanders awaken only after they trailed by three, the coach was asked a series of questions about if he believes in the team he currently has. The holiday roster freeze goes into effect this week and this is generally the time of year when many deals are made.
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On the Kvasha situation, Laviolette said the hulking, yet enigmatic, wing would soon return to the lineup, possibly as soon as last night against the Wings, against whom he scored the dramatic opening goal of the home opener last year.
“Ollie’s going to get back in there,” Laviolette said.
In addition, Mattias Weinhandl (shoulder) was expected to play last night for the first time since Thanksgiving. Before getting hurt in that day’s brief practice, Weinhandl was flourishing on a line with Alexei Yashin and Brad Isbister, but this week skated with Yashin and Shawn Bates.