The Islanders cleaned out their lockers on Monday and officially closed out their 2018-19 season, which saw them reach the second-round of the playoffs only to be swept by the Carolina Hurricanes. 

While the team lost John Tavares to the Toronto Maple Leafs last summer, the Islanders still exceeded expectations behind first-year head coach Barry Trotz and first-year team president Lou Lamoriello. 

Lamoriello and Trotz both addressed the media on Monday on what lies ahead for the franchise. Center Mathew Barzal, captain Anders Lee and goalie Robin Lehner, the latter of whom are free agents, also discussed the future of the team as well as what could be in store for their own futures. 

Islanders winger Cal Clutterbuck had a plethora of back issues that will likely require surgery. 

Per Arthur Staple of The Athletic, Clutterbuck has a stress fracture, two slipped disks and two rotated vertebrae. Brett Cyrgalis of The Post, reported Clutterbuck plans to meet with doctors soon to discuss surgery options. 

The extent of his recovery time could be anywhere between four to six weeks or four to six months and it is hard to imagine it will not be the latter, which would likely mean he would start next season on the IR. 

There will be a sour taste in the Islanders' mouths after being swept by Carolina, one round after sweeping Pittsburgh. This surprising season was indubitably a success given their low expectations, but knowing that the Eastern Conference was wide open and there for the taking will leave the Isles closely examing the hows and whys of their elimination.

It leads into what will be a crucial summer for the Islanders. They've got the coach, they've got the GM and they've gone from having a bleak outlook to legitimate contenders. Now they need to figure out how to take the next step toward winning the Stanley Cup. Here are five big questions the Islanders face entering the offseason.

1. Will Robin Lehner remain with the Islanders?

Barry Trotz couldn't find the right buttons to push as the Islanders were eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs Friday evening.

Different line combinations, a goaltender swap early in the second period and the threat of elimination weren't enough as the Hurricanes defeated the Islanders 5-2 and advanced to the Eastern Conference Final for the first time since 2008-09.

Several teams have won 4-0 and then lost 0-4 in consecutive playoff series. However, the only team to do that in the first two rounds of a postseason since the NHL expanded the first round to best-of-seven in 1986-87 was the Sabres in 1993 when they swept the Bruins and then were swept by the Canadiens (per Elias Sports Bureau.)

Four up, four down. That's how it went for the Islanders in the playoffs as after they swept the Penguins in the first round, they just couldn't make enough plays to pull out a victory against the Hurricanes. The Isles dropped Game 4 Friday night, 5-2, and were swept out of the postseason.  >> Box Score

Six takeaways from Friday's game...

After more than a day of speculation, Robin Lehner keeps the Islander net for Game 4 Friday night, with Thomas Greiss remaining on the bench.

Cal Clutterbuck, who played in Game 3 despite dealing with an apparent leg injury, is out Friday. Michael Dal Colle enters the lineup.

After saying Thursday he was considering wholesale changes to the Islanders' lineup, Barry Trotz wouldn't reveal his plans Friday hours before their do-or-die Game 4 in Raleigh.

Trotz said he wanted to keep the Hurricanes "on their toes" and didn't name a starting goaltender. Robin Lehner has started the Isles' first seven playoff games, but he worked in a timeshare with Thomas Greiss during the season. 

The Islanders could look very different in Game 4.

Barry Trotz is considering a lineup overhaul with the Islanders on the brink, trailing Carolina 3-0 in the second round heading into Friday's do-or-die contest. 

And those changes might even including benching Vezina finalist Robin Lehner. 

"At all positions," Trotz said when asked about where changes could come.

The Islanders might get swept Friday night in Raleigh, but there won't be any brooms in PNC Arena.

In a message to season-ticket holders, the Hurricanes told fans that brooms won't be allowed inside when Carolina hosts Game 4 of the second-round series.

Calvin de Haan played at both Nassau Coliseum and Barclays Center during his five seasons with the Islanders before signing with Carolina last summer. He knows how rowdy the fans can get in Uniondale, and he believes the Islanders playing their second-round home games in Brooklyn helps his current team.

"It's great for us," de Haan said Thursday, according to Newsday. "It's good for the away team. It kind of negates the home-ice advantage to a certain extent. I've played there (the Coliseum) and it's loud and you do feed off of that. Whether you think of it or not, you do feed off the momentum of the crowd and it seemed to elevate everybody on the bench. But it is what it is. That's Mr. Bettman's decision so, whatever."

The New York Islanders left Barclays Center believing the results were not a reflection of their effort through the first two games of the Second Round of the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

However, on Wednesday night at PNC Arena in Raleigh, the Islanders were not the better team and now face a monumental challenge trailing the Carolina Hurricanes, 3-0.

Teuvo Teravainen scored twice and Sebastian Aho recorded a goal and an assist, as the Hurricanes skated to a 5-2 victory in Game 3. Justin Faulk and Justin Williams also found the back of the net while Curtis McElhinney made 28 saves.

The Islanders are in a big hole after the Hurricanes handled them in a 5-2 loss on the road to give themselves a 3-0 lead in this Second Round series. >> Box Score

Five takeaways from Wednesday's game...

1) It was the Hurricanes getting on the board first, as Teuvo Teravainen buried it right next to the goal line. But Devon Toews quickly made it a tie game at one apiece with a power play goal. It was the rookie's first Stanley Cup Playoff goal of his career. 

Islanders coach Barry Trotz said their objective this week is to put wins together, one at a time.

"You can't win two unless you focus on the first, so we'll focus on the first and go from there," he said.

The Hurricanes have already knocked off the defending champion Capitals. Now they're trying to topple the team coached by last year's title-winning coach. >> Read More

Cal Clutterbuck will be a game-time decision for Game 3 in Raleigh, Islanders coach Barry Trotz said Wednesday morning.

The right wing will warm up with the team before the start of the game to determine whether he can go. 

According to the New York Post, Clutterbuck was on the ice Wednesday morning with the extras. Michael Dal Colle, who'd likely replace Clutterbuck if the veteran can't play, was also on the ice.

Maybe this can be considered a guarantee, maybe not.

At the very least, Robin Lehner's comments to the New York Post Tuesday before the Islanders traveled to Raleigh for Game 3 reflect the great amount of confidence the Islanders maintain despite trailing 2-0 in their second-round series against Carolina.

"It's not a big deal. We're just going to go down there and win," Lehner told The Post.

The Islanders and Carolina Hurricanes square off on Wednesday at 7 p.m. in Game 3 of the second-round playoff series as New York heads down to Carolina in an 0-2 hole. Mathew Barzal, Josh Bailey and Anders Lee talk about the adversity the team faces in a critical Game 3. 

No time like the present for your first career playoff start -- even if Curtis McElhinney has already spent 11 seasons in the NHL. 

Yet, McElhinney has never began a playoff game between the pipes. That will change during Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, with the Islanders trailing Carolina 2-0 in the series. 

If the Islanders want any chance of leveling the series on the road, they'll need to get to McElhinney, who stopped all 17 shots he faced at the end of Game 2 -- a 2-1 Hurricanes victory Sunday at the Barclays Center -- first. 

Barry Trotz did not offer much on Cal Clutterbuck's status for Game 3, but his tight lips could mean that the winger won't suit up for Game 3 of the second-round series against the Hurricanes. 

When reporters inquired about a Clutterback update Monday, the coach responded with a one-word answer: "Nope." 

Given that uncertainty, here are a few options the Isles can turn to in Clutterbuck's absence: 

There was a lot of talk about reality by the Islanders Sunday after Game 2 in Brooklyn. There was Barry Trotz, whose players generally carry the same poise he presents behind the bench, talking about how his team played a fairly complete game.

"That's the cruel reality sometimes is that you play really well and you don't get the result," he said.

Then there was Robin Lehner, the outstanding goaltender who summed up the game in this way: "We're not going to put excuses on hitting posts and bars and stuff, but the reality is I think we were the better team, and they just scored one more than us."

It changed in a matter of moments for the Islanders Sunday afternoon.

The Islanders entered the third period of Game 2 with a one-goal lead, but in the first 65 seconds of the final frame, the game was flipped upside down when the Hurricanes lit the lamp twice and stormed to a 2-1 victory

Warren Foegele wired a wrister from a sharp angle just 17 seconds into the third period, and then former Islander Nino Niederreiter redirected a puck past Robin Lehner 48 seconds later to give the Hurricanes a one-goal advantage they would never relinquish.

"It's pretty simple, we played our game for close to 59 minutes," Islanders captain Anders Lee said. "Credit to them for popping two and holding us at the end."

The Islanders allowed two third-period goals and lost to the Carolina Hurricanes 2-1 on Sunday at Barclays Center in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, falling in a 2-0 series deficit. >> Box score

Five takeaways from Sunday's game

1) Leading 1-0 heading into the third period, Robin Lehner and the Islanders allowed two goals in a 48-second span. Warren Foegele tied it 17 seconds into the period for Carolina, and Nino Niederreiter deflected a shot in front of Lehner into the back of the net to make it 2-1.

2) After outscoring the Penguins 14-7 in a four-game sweep, the Islanders have managed just one goal through the first two games of the conference semis.

The Hurricanes look to continue their nail-biting playoff run Sunday afternoon when they visit the Islanders in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn after a Game 1 overtime victory. 

The latest bit of dramatics by the Hurricanes put their opponents into an unfamiliar position: trailing in a postseason series. The Islanders swept the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round, during which they trailed for just four minutes and 51 seconds.

"Some areas we can clean up, but it was a good hockey game," Islanders right winger Matt Martin said afterward. "We'll regroup. It's a race to four (wins) so we've got to win the next one."

Despite making quick work of the Pittsburgh Penguins in the opening round of the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the New York Islanders are taking a long-term approach to their second opponent.

Jordan Staal's overtime goal helped the Carolina Hurricanes grab an early series lead, but the Islanders remain focused on the bigger picture and are planting seeds that will be advantageous as the series goes on.

"When we put the puck down low and are hard on their defense, we kind of think of it as an investment," fourth-line forward Matt Martin said after the 1-0 loss in Game 1. "Over the course of the series, you keep wearing them down."

The Islanders were locked in a scoreless duel that stretched into overtime, but they fell to the Hurricanes at home Friday night, 1-0, in Game 1 of the second round. >> Box score

Five Takeaways from Friday's game

1) Jordan Staal scored the game's only goal 4:04 into overtime to give the Hurricanes the win and hand the Isles their first loss of the postseason. Nino Niederreiter had a bank pass off the end boards around the net to Staal, whose shot went off Robin Lehner's left skate as he was trying to close the post and went in.

After leading the Islanders to a surprisingly successful regular season which culminated in a playoff berth, Barry Trotz has been named one of the three finalists for the Jack Adams award, the NHL's coach of the year honor.

Tampa Bay's Jon Cooper and St. Louis' Craig Berube are the other finalists. 

Last year, the Islanders went 35-37-10 and missed the playoffs by 17 points. They then lost their star player and captain John Tavares as he went home to play for the Maple Leafs.

The Islanders have been off since Apr. 16, when they completed a four-game sweep of the Pittsburgh Penguins with a 3-1 win. It was just the second postseason series win since 1994 for New York, which advanced to the second round in 2016.

The Islanders held five practices during their long break, but head coach Barry Trotz sensed something different Thursday morning.

"You could tell that there's guys that are turning the switch on a little bit -- not that they've turned it off, they've done a really good job, but I think the urgency is definitely there," said Trotz, who coached the Capitals to the Stanley Cup title last season before joining the Islanders last June. "They're a little more business-like, if you will. They've been business-like right through, but this is just a little different level."

Islanders' Johnny Boychuk sustained a leg injury in their first-round series against the Penguins and has a "slim chance" of playing at all in their second-round series against the Carolina Hurricanes, head coach Barry Trotz said. 

NBC Sports' analyst Patrick Sharp breaks down how the Islanders can overcome the injury and which players he expects to rise to the occasion in Boychuk's absence. 

After waiting for more than a week, the Islanders finally found out late Wednesday night that they'll play the Hurricanes -- the Bunch of Jerks -- in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. And because Carolina upset Washington in Game 7 on the road, the first road win by a team in the series, the Isles will get home-ice advantage in the second round, with Game 1 in Brooklyn on Friday night.

Will the well-rested Islanders be rusty Friday night having not played since last Tuesday? Or will they be able to pounce on a Hurricanes squad tired and beat up after a grueling seven-game series?

Let's take a look at how the Islanders and Hurricanes match up heading into the second round of the postseason.

The stage is set for the Second Round matchup between the New York Islanders and Carolina Hurricanes. 

The Islanders still have home ice advantage after the Hurricanes upset the reigning Stanley Cup-champion Capitals in Game 7 on Wednesday night. These two teams will kick off the new series on Friday night in the Barclays Center at 7 p.m.

After the home opener, here's how the schedule breaks down...

Islanders goaltender Robin Lehner turned his life around, getting sober after abusing alcohol and drugs, and then turned his career around. His outstanding season led to Lehner becoming one of the three finalists for the Vezina Trophy.

He followed that up with a terrific first round as the Isles swept the Penguins in the first round. NBC Sports analyst Patrick Sharp, a three-time Stanley Cup winner with the Blackhawks, breaks down Lehner's play and a potential goalie matchup against either Washington's Braden Holtby or Carolina's Petr Mrazek.

When it comes to the high intensity of the NHL Playoffs, some teams prefer a shorter break between series to preserve the momentum gained from the previous round's victory. 

And after the Islanders swept the Penguins in four games during the first round, the team has not played for a week now. They won't take the ice anytime soon, either, as they await the winner of the Carolina-Washington series. That bout will be decided Wednesday night in a decisive Game 7. 

As such, the Islanders won't begin the second round until Friday at the earliest. Ultimately, they'll have enjoyed a 10-day layoff. It was time well spent for the team, too, as it gave key players ample time to nurse lingering injuries and for everyone to at least recharge the batteries. 

The Islanders will play in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs ... eventually.

New York, which swept the Pittsburgh Penguins, is still waiting to find out who it will play given the Hurricanes forced a Game 7 against the Washington Capitals with a 5-2 win in Game 6 on Monday night.

The Islanders last played April 16, when they beat the Penguins 3-1 to finish off the sweep. In the days since, they have focused on getting healthy, as several players, including Cal Clutterbuck and Scott Mayfield, have been dealing with injuries.

As the Islanders continue their preparation for the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs while waiting to see who their opponent will be, they got some banged-up bodies back on the ice.

Right wing Cal Clutterbuck and defenseman Scott Mayfield both returned to practice Monday. They hadn't practiced with the team since the Isles defeated the Penguins in Game 4 last Tuesday to secure a first-round sweep. Clutterbuck missed the third period of Game 4.

With the news that Johnny Boychuk will be out three-to-four weeks with a lower-body injury after blocking a shot with his leg in Tuesday's Game 4 win over the Penguins, Thomas Hickey likely will get his chance.

The 30-year-old defenseman is set to return to the Islanders' lineup for their second-round series against either Washington or Carolina. 

"The news on Johnny, one of my best friends here, that's tough news," Hickey said Friday. "But we've got big goals, big aspirations, and if someone's not getting bumped and bruised and a little banged up, we're probably not getting to that point. So we just move forward."

The NHL announced on Friday that Islanders goaltender Robin Lehner is one of the three finalists for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, awarded annually "to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey." 

In September, Lehner revealed in a piece for The Athletic that he had been addicted to drugs and alcohol and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. On April 6, Lehner wrote in a note posted on his Twitter account that he'd been sober for one year.

Islanders defenseman Johnny Boychuk will miss 3-4 weeks with a lower-body injury he suffered during Game 4 of their first-round series against the Penguins, GM Lou Lamoriello said on Friday.

Boychuk blocked a shot off his right leg in the second period of Tuesday's win over the Penguins and did not return. 

The Islanders are going to be waiting a while to find out who their next opponent is.

They know for the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs that they'll play the winner of the Washington-Carolina series, but that series is guaranteed to go until at least Monday night after the Hurricanes defeated the Capitals Thursday night in Game 4 to tie the series at 2-2. The home team has won each game, and Washington will host Game 5 on Saturday before the series shifts back to Raleigh Monday for Game 6. Had Washington won Thursday, they could've won the series on Saturday.

So it will be more than a week between games for the Isles, who clinched a sweep of the Penguins on Tuesday in Pittsburgh. 

Islanders head coach Barry Trotz didn't have an update on Johnny Boychuk or Cal Clutterbuck, who were both hurt in Game 4 of their first-round series against the Penguins.

The Islanders, who swept Pittsburgh on Tuesday, did not practice on Thursday as they look ahead to the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Barry Trotz had something to say upon being presented his Stanley Cup ring in November, addressing the Washington squad he had helmed to the franchise's long-awaited first championship the previous spring.

"You can do it again," Trotz told Alex Ovechkin and the Caps in the visiting locker room at Barclays Center. "You'll have to go through the (effing) Island, OK? But you guys can do it again."

No one is scoffing anymore at that middle zing, no one should be snickering anymore at this woebegone franchise, which has proven dramatically what a little adult supervision, accountability, actual on-ice structure -- and a bought-in rallying point concerning a departed superstar -- can do in implementing the longest of overdue culture changes and fostering immediate results.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

The New York Islanders found a perfect recipe and executed it to perfection as they completed a first-round series sweep of the Pittsburgh Penguins Tuesday evening with a 3-1 victory.

"A lot of people wrote us off and they are a bit shocked," Jordan Eberle said on MSG Network. "We are confident in the way that we play. This is one of the tighter knit teams that I have played on. We love battling and playing for each other. You do that every night on a consistent basis you can go places."

The Islanders completed the opening round sweep of the Penguins in a 3-1 road victory to move onto the next stage in the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs on Tuesday night. >> Box score

Six Takeaways from Tuesday's game

1) Facing elimination on their home ice, the Penguins got off on the board in a hurry to kick off the game. Jake Guentzel opened up the scoring with assists from Sidney Crosby and Jared McCann in the first 35 seconds of this one. 

The New York Islanders are in position to usher Pittsburgh out of the playoffs with barely a squeak from the Penguins.

The Islanders can complete a four-game sweep in their first-round playoff series with a win Tuesday night in Pittsburgh.

It that's a surprise -- Pittsburgh was widely picked to win the series despite finishing one spot and three points behind the Islanders in the Metropolitan Division -- it shouldn't be, argued New York goaltender Robin Lehner.

Each time the Penguins take a small step forward and attempt to grab momentum, the Islanders respond with force.

The Islanders have pushed the Penguins to the brink of elimination with a 4-1 victory in Game 3, extending their advantage in the series to 3-0.

The Penguins got the quick start they were looking for in their first home game when Garrett Wilson redirected the puck past Robin Lehner to open up the scoring at 12:54 of the first period. The crowd was on their feet, and everything was trending in Pittsburgh's direction.

The Islanders took a commanding 3-0 series lead in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs on Sunday following a 2-1 victory in Pittsburgh. >> Box score

Six Takeaways from Sunday's game

1. The 3-0 series lead guarantees little, but it's certainly a comfortable spot to be in for the Isles. Only four NHL teams have overcome a 3-0 deficit in Stanley Cup Playoffs history. The most recent team to accomplish the feat were the Kings during the first round in 2014, and Los Angeles went on to defeat the Ranger in the Stanley Cup that year. 

The New York Islanders held serve and did it in a favorite, nostalgic place, winning the first two games of their first-round playoff series against the Pittsburgh Penguins at raucous Nassau Coliseum.

Young center Mathew Barzal has enjoyed his first postseason experience as much as those vocal fans have digged cheering the Islanders to a 2-0 series lead.

"I just love the intensity out there," Barzal said. "Being in the playoffs, every game is so big and every play matters so much. I just love how focused our group is and just dialing in to a game."

Winter is here.

With Game of Thrones set to return Sunday for its eighth and final season, New York athletes gave their predictions and talked about theories for how the saga will end.

Click below...

The 2-0 series lead the Islanders are taking into Sunday's Game 3 matinee in Pittsburgh is well-earned. They were the better team throughout two games at the raucous Coliseum. And in Game 2 they clearly had the Penguins rattled, despite the fact that the Pens' core has been through it all over the years in the postseason.

But in the NHL playoffs, no lead is safe, and Barry Trotz knows that as well as anybody. Just last year, when he was with Washington, the division-winning Captials fell behind 2-0 in the first tround against Columbus after dropping the first two games in overtime. They needed double-overtime to take Game 3 and eventually winning four straight to take the series before winning the Stanley Cup.

The Islanders had every reason to crack after allowing the opening goal following five missed power-play opportunities.

However, it was New York that kept its composure and erased a one-goal deficit en route to a 3-1 victory and commanding 2-0 series lead against Pittsburgh.

The Islanders are supposed to be the inexperienced team after missing the previous two postseasons, but never flinched while facing adversity.

This is everything the Islanders could have hoped for.

They made a charge at the end of the season to secure home-ice advantage in the first round of the NHL playoffs, and they've made it count. They used two third-period goals to take Game 2 from the Penguins Friday night, 3-1, in front of a raucous Coliseum crowd and take a 2-0 series lead into Sunday's Game 3 in Pittsburgh.

The Islanders have their first 2-0 lead in a series since 1983, when they won their fourth straight Stanley Cup.