It's not that head coach Doug Weight sees a big difference in what his team does when they have a lead, but rather what it forces the Islanders' opponents to do. They open up and the offensively-potent Islanders have been able to take advantage of some wide-open games.
"We can really tilt the ice with our four lines and with some talent spread around as far as speed and ability to make plays," Weight said. "You can really go for the throat. And when you have teams that are trying to catch up, they are going to take chances, they are going to push the pace. If you're in the right spots the puck comes to you and you get opportunities, odd numbers, tired lines."
Weight said his team is confident in their ability to battle back from any deficit, and they have put together some late rallies, but would obviously rather see them playing from ahead than behind.
"The great thing is we always have the belief, whether it's 2-0, 3-1, 3-2, we can come back with any amount of time left," Weight said. "But the last three weeks it's a little disheartening, it's 1-0 more than not against us. For a team like ours, it's big to get the lead."
