After an unexpected coaching change, a week of high-intensity practices and an unwelcome result elsewhere in the Eastern Conference on Tuesday night, the Islanders are ready to return to the ice — and fight for their postseason lives.
The Isles — following a 6-2 Senators thrashing over the Lightning — are three points off the second and final wild-card spot entering Thursday’s pivotal clash against the Maple Leafs.
And one of the team’s longest-tenured players knows exactly what’s required in that matchup against Toronto — the Isles’ first game since they lost to the Hurricanes on Saturday.
“It’s got to be all energy ahead,” defenseman Ryan Pulock told The Post. “I think as much as you make changes, it’s still just a game. And we need to bring that energy. We’re at home, there’s no excuses there. You need every guy on board, finding a little extra.”
On the third day of what new head coach Pete DeBoer has dubbed his “late-season training camp” — following his hiring over the weekend with just four regular-season games remaining — there was an urgency during the session at Northwell Health Ice Center.
Ilya Sorokin shone with some impressive glove work in net, DeBoer continued to feed his players instructions from a whiteboard and the coach was once again pleased with the buy-in from his new group.
“I feel like they’re optimistic,” DeBoer said of his players. “I feel a real good energy out there. The feedback’s been good, the conversations have been good. I think we all know the situation we’re in, but the mindset of the group is really good.
“I think they’re sick of my late-season training camp. I think they’re done with it. And I’ll be honest, I’ve never run a training camp in April. So I think we’re all ready to play some games.”
It was only Sunday that players were met with the news of Patrick Roy’s surprise firing.
- CHECK OUT THE LATEST NHL STANDINGS AND ISLANDERS STATS
But with their playoff predicament — Hockey Reference gives the Isles just a 22.1 percent chance of making the postseason after a poor 3-7 stretch — there was little time for them to brood.
“When you first find out, there is some sadness,” Pulock said. “I think you build relationships with people, and you work together for a while, and when you hear that, it sucks for a minute.
“And then you can sit on it for a minute, and you get ready, you look forward, and you get excited about what’s ahead.”
Roy’s successor has also been heartened by the response he’s seen from his new players.
“I think anytime a coach loses his job, if you’ve got good character like we have in that room, they feel bad about it,” DeBoer said. “And I think they’re looking to respond in the right way and handle this the right way.”
The Islanders may have to sweep their upcoming slate against the Leafs, Senators, Canadiens and Hurricanes — and get help elsewhere, too — to sneak into the postseason.
But following a late-season slump and this week’s rare mini-break, the first order of business is clear: Beat Toronto.
“It’s a little sprint here, where we know our backs [are] against the wall,” Pulock said, “and it’s [an] exciting time to just try to win one hockey game.”
