It’s nobody’s fault that the Islanders haven’t been able to roll out a consistent lineup for much of the season. They can’t control COVID-19 outbreaks or injuries, and even discounting those, it’s taken time to find the right combinations. 

But their forward group is healthy now, and it looks like they can come into each game with a steady 12-man group. 

“I think obviously we’d all like to play with similar guys, you can grow some chemistry the more you play together,” Josh Bailey said ahead of Sunday’s game against the Wild. “It is what it is at this point. Knock on wood, we can stay healthy, start stringing some together.” 

Bailey has moved between the first and second lines a fair amount, but with Kyle Palmieri back in the group, it looks like he’ll be playing with Mat Barzal and Anders Lee for the foreseeable future. Palmieri is back to his old spot on the second line with Brock Nelson and Anthony Beauvillier, with Kieffer Bellows out of the lineup as a result. 

Barry Trotz would like to see the Islanders play with more consistency, particularly on the offensive side of the puck. Some continuity there, at least in theory, would help. 

“For me, be consistent right to the break here and then come out of the [All-Star] break, we’re on the road and gonna have to string some wins together,” Trotz said. “Plain and simple, it’s more the consistency. Know what we’re gonna be as a team night in, night out. If we do that as a team, we’re gonna have success.” 

The Islanders, with just a few games left before the break, are on the outskirts of the playoff picture, with a 15-15-6 record going into Sunday. With their season nearly at its halfway point, the margin for error is thin to none. 

Defensively, Trotz likes where the Islanders are, and with Ryan Pulock on his way to full health, things can only go up. Scoring is where the Islanders’ issues have come, though, and likewise, that’s where the lineup has changed with some frequency. 

“I think everybody’s play allows you to make a decision or stay in the lineup,” Trotz said. “For me if you’re playing at a consistent level and playing and contributing. then there’s not a lot of reason to take you out other than injury or production. And so we just base everything on that.” 

Trotz has rotated Ilya Sorokin and Semyon Varlamov in net during January, but said he plans to start going with the hot hand following the All-Star break. 

Sorokin has the upper hand going into Sunday’s match, with a .926 save percentage to Varlamov’s .915, but both have had uncharacteristic moments lately, with Sorokin giving up three goals on 17 shots against the Flyers and Varlamov giving up two goals in the final seconds of a period against the Maple Leafs and Kings.