NHL Power Rankings: Bruins climb as the Golden Knights fall

22. New York Islanders (-1)

The New York Islanders tried something new this week. Head coach Doug Weight tried to play John Tavares on the wing instead of at center. A lot of people overacted and said that it was a bad move and there is no way Tavares is staying at the end of the season. It wasn’t that crazy of an idea. The Islanders are basically eliminated from the playoffs, needing a miracle to come back. So why not experiment with what you have? Putting together dynamic rookie Mathew Barzal with Tavares and Jordan Eberle could combine to be a major offensive threat. This would at least give the fans something to be excited about and help grow Barzal’s game for the future.

The Islanders got swept this week in a home-and-home series with the Washington Capitals. They didn’t just lose; they got blown out twice. Over the two games, they were outscored 13-to-6. Their losing streak was extended to three games by dropping a game Sunday to the Carolina Hurricanes. They only lost that game by one goal, so that’s a positive. It won’t get much more positive than that. This week they will play the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Tampa Bay Lightning, two of the top teams in the Eastern Conference. They will get a slight break when they take on the Chicago Blackhawks to close out the week.