Tavares injury likely the death knell for tumultuous Islanders season
The New York Islanders aren't eliminated yet, but John Tavares' diagnosis might be the final nail in the coffin in what's been a wild season in Brooklyn.
Losing the captain to an injury with a week to week recovery timetable is obviously a major blow to the Islanders' postseason hopes, and it comes at the most important juncture of what's been a roller-coaster campaign.
From a midseason coaching change to persistent arena rumors, the club has endured numerous distractions while experiencing both highs and lows in 2016-17.
The Islanders were among the NHL's worst clubs when Jack Capuano was fired on Jan. 17, sitting dead last in the Eastern Conference with 17 wins in 42 games.
They initially looked an entirely new team under interim head coach Doug Weight, going 12-4-2 over his first 18 games, but they fell back down to Earth and have now all but dropped out of the playoff picture with only four wins in their last 10.
They've also dealt with constant uncertainty about their future home.
It all started with a report in October claiming the Barclays Center piping system didn't meet NHL requirements.
Then, less than two weeks after Weight took over in January, another report indicated arena officials were looking to terminate their agreement with the club in the near future.
That set off a slew of reports about where the Islanders would eventually play and even saw them garner an offer from a former NHL city. Weight and Tavares were forced to deal with frequent questions about it, downplaying the effect it was having on the club.
The captain didn't miss a beat through it all, playing in every game before Friday's injury and racking up a team-leading 66 points to go along with 28 goals.
But New York now has to fend without him for the foreseeable future, and all three of its rivals in the wild-card race are riding hot streaks.
Entering Saturday night's action, the Toronto Maple Leafs, who occupy the second wild-card spot, are 7-2-1 in their last 10. The Tampa Bay Lightning, who sit four points behind them, are 7-3-0, while the Carolina Hurricanes are 7-0-3 in that span.
The Islanders had a 2.9 percent chance of making the playoffs before Saturday's games, according to Sports Club Stats.
New York's up-and-down season was already looking like a lost cause, but Tavares' injury and subsequent diagnosis all but puts it to bed.