from Alex Prewitt of Sports Illustrated,
As the black SUV finally swings out of the parking lot at Northwell Health Ice Center in East Meadow, N.Y., the two young men in Islanders apparel clamber up from the curb and start waving. "Is this for me?" Barry Trotz wonders aloud, a question that is quickly answered when the head coach pulls over and rolls down the driver's side window.
“We waited all day for you,” one of the fans says, rushing over.
“You’re absolutely our hero,” the other says, holding up his phone.
Trotz leans close and smiles. I duck out of the way. The fans swap spots so the first can snag a picture too. “You’re the man!” he says, offering a fist pump in gratitude.
Selfies and a mild savior complex. Such is life, evidently, behind the wheel of this NHL season’s unlikeliest success story. (Apologies, Jordan Binnington.) Dismissed as cellar-dwellers when superstar John Tavares left in free agency last June, the Islanders have instead risen to the top of the Metro Division at 36–19–7 (79 points) through Feb. 26, on pace for the franchise’s best record since its dynastic rampage through the early ‘80s. Don’t blame the diehards for getting excited.
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