DETROIT — The Islanders are one week away from a potentially significant milestone in their season.

Approximately 75% of the NHL teams holding a postseason position at Thanksgiving go on to make the playoffs. And the Islanders are in the Eastern Conference’s first wild-card spot entering Thursday night’s match against the Atlantic Division-leading Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena to conclude a seven-game road trip that’s started 5-1-0.

It will be Game No. 21 for the Islanders (11-7-2), meaning they've reached the quarter mark of the 82-game schedule, enough time to recognize both the positive trends and potential concerns. For instance, it’s concerning defenseman Alexander Romanov was placed on injured reserve on Wednesday with an upper-body issue.

“We’ve been playing consistent,” Ande

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