The Islanders raised their level of play much earlier this season, rattling off a franchise record 15-0-2 run from Oct. 12-Nov. 23. That has not been the case in the thick of the playoff race.
Instead, they’ve stagnated while other teams have improved.
“We have another gear in us,” Derick Brassard said. “It’s just, at this time of the year, it’s your will against their will.”
The Islanders, who face the Canadiens on Tuesday night at Barclays Center, hold the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference and are two points behind the struggling Penguins for third place in the Metropolitan Division.