Watch Out for Tavares and the Islanders Next Season

John Tavares and the Islanders should be proud of their efforts throughout the season and playoffs. (Shannon Stapleton)

The New York Islanders may have left the ice with their heads downs following their heartbreaking 4-3 overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 6, but the home crowd Nassau Coliseum was on its feet applauding their efforts.

This was after all the Islanders' first playoff appearance since 2007. They gave the top seed Penguins all they could handle and then some in every game. With a team with so many young players like this Islanders franchise has, they will be able to use this experience to come back even better and hungrier next season to make another run at Lord Stanley's Cup.

For so many years, the Islanders have been ridiculed as the doormat of the Eastern Conference. Meanwhile, the Islanders were adding and developing players through the draft and free agency. The used the very same model the Penguins used to build back up their elite franchise. The Islanders came into this season with the talent, but that had to prove it on the ice.

"We've taken a lot of heat in the past three years since I've been here, a lot of criticism from the media, people looked at us as a laughingstock," said Islanders forward Matt Martin. "Throughout this series, we showed we can play with anyone. We’re excited about the future. We think we have something special here." 

The Penguins witnessed firsthand the resiliency shown by this pesky and determined Islanders team. The vast majority of experts pegged this series as a four or five game piece of cake for the top seed. It turned out to be anything but that.

"It was every bit of a battle in those six games," Penguins coach Dan Bylsma said after his team punched its ticket to a second-round matchup against the seventh-seeded Ottawa Senators. 

As I have already mentioned, this is a very good, young Islanders team. They have already made improvements. They are only going to continue to get better. One of the most obvious improvements that has been made this season has been the Islanders' increase in scoring depth/ Last season, they relied almost completely on superstar center John Tavares and linemate Matt Moulson. The lack of scoring depth made the task easy for opposing defenses to stop.

During this season and in the playoffs, the emergence of a strong second line has strengthened the Islanders' offense immensely. This line comprises of center Frans Nielsen and wingers Josh Bailey and Kyle Okposo. During the six-series playoff series with the Penguins, this trio tallied three goals and six assists. This is a huge reason why the Islanders' offense was a threat throughout the series.

We cannot overlook the efforts of the depth forwards on the third and fourth lines as well. Michael Grabner and Casey Cizikas got involved in the scoring in the playoffs and will continue to develop next season. Matt Martin and Colin MacDonald also gave the team good energy, penalty killing and defending on the fourth line.

Of course, we cannot move on from the Islander offense without taking a look at the play of Tavares. He has truly emerged as one of the top players and leaders in the league. Tavares led the team with 47 points in 48 games, which included 28 goals scored (third highest in the NHL). His leadership, consistent offensive efforts and defensive improvement were among the main reasons why the Islanders were able to return to the playoffs. These efforts have not gone unnoticed as Tavares was one of three players to earn a Hart Trophy nomination.

Defensively, the Islanders have utilized a combination of experienced veterans and talented young players. This will only help the team to continue to improve for years to come. It all begins with the dynamic duo of captain Mark Streit and veteran defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky. They played very well against the Penguins, The Islanders will need to re-sign Streit if they hope to keep him. If they are able to do so, this pairing will continue to provide the team with scoring, poise and leadership on the blue line.

The emergence of 22-year-old defensemen Travis Hamonic has been has been a pleasant surprise for the Islanders. His play against the Penguins was absolutely superb. Harmonic provided strong defense and a level of poise well beyond his years. He was able to keep Hart Trophy finalist Sidney Crosby under wraps for much of the series.

There were 16 Islanders who this series with the Penguins with four or fewer games of playoff experience, including Tavares and Moulson. These players learned much about the intensity, pressure and atmosphere that the playoffs create. With very promising young players like Ryan Strome and Griffin Reinhart waiting in the wings, these experienced players will be able to help them to be ready to compete with the best the NHL has to offer.

The Islanders have proven they belong on the same ice as the most talented team in the Eastern Conference. They have even frankly outplayed the Penguins at many points in the series. Even though they didn't come away the victor in the end, the Islanders have taken significant strides toward becoming a Stanley Cup contender for years to come.