Isles Ready, Confident For Second Half Run

Anders Lee lounged in Aspen, Matt Martin and Josh Bailey hit the beach in St. Bart and Barry Trotz dropped the ceremonial kielbasa during a hockey game in balmy Dauphin, Manitoba.
The New York Islanders, however, didn't go anywhere, ending the break the same way they went into it, atop the Metropolitan Division with 63 points.
That feels good on January 31st, but the Isles know the road only gets harder from here on out, with 33 games in the final 65 days of the season.

"We're in first place right now and we have to take a hold of that and understand the situation, not get complacent and continue to strive to be better and do our best to separate ourselves," captain Anders Lee said.

The Islanders (29-15-5) surged to the top of the Metro with a 15-3-1 stretch from Dec. 15 to Jan. 22 - the best record in the NHL over that span. They've done it with team defense - leading the NHL in goals against at 2.41 per game - and spread the wealth offensively, with eight players recording 10 or more goals in the first 49 games.
"You have to be pleased because each and every night we've been given a solid effort by the players," General Manager Lou Lamoriello said on Thursday. "To me what has been very impressive is that each and every night, there's a different line or a different individual that's come to the forefront to have success."
Lamoriello expressed confidence in his group, but the veteran GM warned against penciling in playoff dates in late January.

"I have a lot of confidence in this group because they've shown it," Lamoriello said. "We're a good hockey team right now, I don't want to deny that, because we've had to earn where we're at and they deserve the credit. We have to sustain it. Those are the things that you find out at this time of the year. Each team, who has a good opportunity, the level jumps up."
The Islanders reconvened on Long Island on Thursday after a week or rest and recuperation. That's the last break with a grinding schedule coming up, the cold, dark days with teams desperate for points, beginning with a formidable Tampa-LA back to back on Friday and Saturday.
"I thought the group was energized and for the most part they executed pretty well," Trotz said of the first practice after the break. "We went through different aspects of our game and a little refresher course if we can, a couple of quizzes out on the ice. It was fine, we'll have to be ready to go tomorrow."

It's an exciting time for the Islanders, who are happy to get back to work on Friday.
"We put ourselves in a position to succeed," Lee said. "We have nothing to hang our hat on right now, there's a lot of hockey left and we know that. We think we haven't reached our potential at all and I that's a little of the exciting part."