Three takeaways from the Islanders' road trip

The Islanders open a three-game homestand against the Blues on Saturday night after completing a  1-2-2 road trip with Thursday night’s 2-1 loss in Detroit.

That marked the third straight game the Islanders (7-8-5) were unable to hold a third-period lead, and the disappointing trip has raised more questions than given answers for a team now a quarter of the way into its 82-game schedule.

Here are three takeaways from the first 20 games in which the Islanders won just four times in regulation:

1. This is not a playoff team.

At least they haven’t shown themselves to be consistent enough yet to be considered that.

Of course, there’s plenty of time to recover, and the Islanders will be getting back top-line forwards Anthony Duclair (lower body) and Mathew Barzal (upper body) and defenseman Adam Pelech (jaw) presumably within the next month.

However, president/general manager Lou Lamoriello and coach Patrick Roy must be brutally honest in how they assess the team.

For now, both continue to show unwavering faith in the group.

“It’s nothing that I didn’t feel strongly about with the character that’s in that room and seeing more than one player take opportunities and do something with it and also the veterans take charge,” Lamoriello said during the trip when asked what he’s learned about his team through the spate of injuries. “That’s basically what I’ve seen.”

2. They better be better at home.

As Roy pointed out in Detroit, the Islanders have played a disproportionate 13 of their first 20 on the road, the implication being they now have the chance to get right on home ice with eight of their next 11 games at UBS Arena.

But, so far, the Islanders have not established any home-ice advantage. They are 2-3-2 at home and only 1-3-1 in their last five at UBS Arena dating to a 1-0 loss to the Red Wings on Oct. 22 in which they gave up just 11 shots.

“Hopefully, that’s the case for us,” defenseman Noah Dobson said when asked whether returning to UBS Arena could provide the Islanders with a reset on their season. “It was a long trip and it will be nice to get back home, keep trying to string together a few wins at home and build off that.”

If they can’t over the next three weeks, it very well could sink their season.

3. The Brock Nelson/Kyle Palmieri discussion is coming. Soon.

This won’t be an easy discussion or decision for Lamoriello at all.

Nelson, the second-line center who has led the Islanders either in points or goals the past five seasons, and Palmieri, his right wing currently leading the Islanders with seven goals and 16 points, are both 33 and pending unrestricted free agents. They likely would be two of the more sought-after rentals prior to the March 7 trade deadline with Nelson likely able to fetch a first-round pick as part of the return.

But the Islanders may be hanging around the playoff periphery leading up to the trade deadline, as has been the case for all but one of Lamoriello’s six previous seasons in charge. Would he restock the organizational assets or go for it again? And would Lamoriello commit new, multi-season deals to either at their age? History suggests he might.

Again, not an easy discussion.

By Andrew Gross

andrew.gross@newsday.comAGrossNewsday

Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.