Islanders, just three points out of first place, host the Senators tonight, a task Miro Satan knows won’t be easy.
That’s especially true given the Isles’ recent scoring struggles – they’ve scored two or fewer goals in nine straight, and lost three of their last four games, one in OT.
“Now, maybe we have a more difficult stretch,” the Islander right wing said of upcoming games against Ottawa, which has lost three in a row, and then the Rangers, whom the Isles have handled well so far this season.
“But we have enough experience, enough grit on this team to go through that, and hopefully we will.”
The likely return of center Shawn Bates tonight (7:00; FSN; WBBR-1130 AM) should help.
He hasn’t played in an NHL game since January, when he suffered an abdominal injury that led to a sports hernia.
He’s been back from a conditioning stint with AHL Bridgeport, and yesterday got some ice time during practice.
“Shawn has worked extremely hard on his conditioning,” said coach Ted Nolan. “So we’ll probably, more than likely, see him [tonight].”
Yesterday, Bates skated on a line with Sean Bergenheim and Richard Park, who has notched goals in two straight for the offensively challenged Isles. Park played a solid match in the OT loss to Dallas on Monday, scoring a shorthanded goal and creating another man-down chance.
Perhaps the return of Bates, who once led the league in shorthanded goals, will provide a spark against a team the Isles couldn’t beat a year ago. In fact, they’ve lost eight in a row to the Sens.