WINNIPEG, Manitoba — If Lou Lamoriello was looking for a reason to believe less than a week before the trade deadline, the Islanders gave him one on Sunday.
Off the back of a disappointing loss and still without Mathew Barzal in the lineup, the Isles turned in one of their most complete performances of the year, beating the Jets for the second time in three games, 4-0, at Canada Life Centre.
So many times this season, the Islanders have been the team spending much of the game on the back foot, unable to break out and trying to capitalize on rare offensive opportunities. On Sunday, they turned Winnipeg into that team.
The Islanders, instead, locked down the neutral zone. They prohibitively out-skated their opposition, quickly developing the forecheck they spent all of Friday night hoping to find.
The first period, in which the Isles outshot Winnipeg 12-1, was among the best 20-minute stretches the Islanders have played all season. The remainder did not quite match it, but the win, which keeps the Islanders in the first wild-card spot despite Buffalo creeping up behind with games in hand, moved them to 3-1-0 without Barzal.
To management, which has already moved its best chips to acquire Bo Horvat — whose shorthanded rip from the right point 7:56 into the game opened the scoring on Sunday — it could be further evidence the team deserves more help in the form of a rental.
Even when the Jets found some punch after the ice was completely tilted in the first 20 minutes, the Islanders found enough breakaway chances to keep the game even. Alexander Romanov scored for just the second time this season at 4:22 of the second, his point shot making its way through Matt Martin’s screen and in.
Then, with the Jets looking as threatening as they did all game, Brock Nelson cut behind the defense and found himself with open ice. He got to the middle and picked his spot to beat David Rittich and make it 3-0 at 18:41 of the second, prompting the home crowd to boo the Jets off the ice heading into the second intermission. Adam Pelech added an empty-net goal with two minutes to go in the game.
Semyon Varlamov, who got a surprise start in place of Ilya Sorokin, was allowed to settle into the game but did everything asked of him once Winnipeg started skating, stopping every shot he saw for his second shutout this season.
With Sorokin expected to play just about every game the rest of the way, it is massive that the Isles managed to give him a day off without sacrificing points, as well as get Varlamov, who struggled in his last start, a victory.
The Isles have no choice but to embrace the slog if they are to hold onto a playoff spot. Sunday was Game 63 for them; Buffalo and Detroit have both played just 58, the Penguins played their 59th Sunday night. The Sabres, who beat up on the Capitals on Sunday, are three points behind the Islanders and visit Long Island for the first time next week.
You don’t need to be a stats genius to know that will be an important match.
Right now, though, the Islanders are doing just about everything they can. Keeping pace, playing well and making a case that they are worthy of further investment.