The New York Islanders entered the back-to-back against the Vancouver Canucks and Seattle Kraken on Nov. 16 and 17 hoping to earn at least two points if not more. They found a way to earn those points but in a disappointing fashion. The Islanders lost to the Canucks 4-3 in overtime and then the next night lost by the same score to the Kraken in a shootout.
Related: 4 Takeaways From Islanders’ 4-1 Loss vs Oilers
The two points allow the Islanders to move to 5-6-5 on the season, keeping them in seventh place in the Metropolitan Division but only a few points behind the New Jersey Devils, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Philadelphia Flyers. The problem is that despite earning points, the Islanders have a seven-game losing streak and don’t look like a good team, largely because of their undisciplined play.
Islanders’ Penalties are Killing Them
The bizarre part about the Islanders’ slump is that they are outplaying teams at five-on-five. If they don’t have skaters in the penalty box, they’ve looked like the better team. That’s a big if though and unfortunately, the Islanders can’t get out of their own way.
They allowed six goals in regulation against the Canucks and Kraken, all of which came on the penalty kill. The Islanders used to have one of the best penalty-killing units in the NHL and now, it’s one of the weakest in the league. It’s hard to pinpoint one reason for the awful unit but time and time again, they’ve allowed opponents to find open shots on the net and move to the center of the defensive zone. The third-period goal by the Kraken particularly stung as Kailer Yamamoto was left wide open with only Semyon Varlamov in his path and nobody around to help out the goaltender.
The unit looks like a mess and is singlehandedly costing them games. The question is what the fix might be. Is the puck simply not bouncing their way? Is this a personnel issue and the Islanders must find new skaters to kill off penalties? Are the Islanders taking too many penalties and cutting down on that number will allow them to turn the season around? Is this struggle a reflection of the coaching staff? The bottom line is that they must turn things around if they have any hope of becoming a competitive team this season.
Horvat’s Carrying the Offense
The game against the Canucks was a memorable one for Bo Horvat. He returned to Vancouver for the first time since the trade and received a handful of both cheers and boos from the fans. Once the game was underway, he got to work helping the Islanders’ offense thrive.
Horvat started moving to the faceoff circles to open up the offense and allow Mathew Barzal to gash the defense in the middle. The change allowed him to suddenly create scoring chances and find the back of the net himself. He found Barzal with a centering pass but a quick pass back to Horvat allowed him to snap the puck to the back of the net. His shooting skill is something the Canucks are all too familiar with but his playmaking is catching a lot of people by surprise and is starting to make him the top forward on the Islanders.
In the game against the Kraken, Horvat started the scoring with his power play assist. He was once again playing in the faceoff circle with the Islanders effectively moving the puck into the offensive zone. With the Kraken anticipating a shot, Horvat centered the puck to Anders Lee who scored his first goal of the season. The assist was Horvat’s eighth of the season and paired with five goals, he’s not only one of the team’s best scorers but a well-rounded player who can beat opponents in different ways. The Islanders are facing an uphill battle to contend but if they rebound this season, it will be because of their top-line center.
Sorokin’s Start Allows Islanders To Earn a Point
The Canucks and Islanders were tied up at three as the third period was winding down, yet somehow, the two goaltenders proved that they are two of the best in the NHL. Thatcher Demko, who is having a career year, saved 30 shots and some of his saves allowed the Canucks to remain in the game and ultimately win it in overtime. Sorokin meanwhile is having a rough season but games like these are a reminder of how good he is.
Sorokin made 39 saves in the 4-3 loss. The Islanders’ defense wasn’t giving him any breaks and the Canucks’ offense, which averages 4.3 goals per game, was applying pressure throughout the game. However, Sorokin stepped up and saved every even-strength shot he faced.
The Islanders earned a much-needed point on the back of a great Sorokin start. While Sorokin hasn’t looked like the Vezina Trophy finalist that he was a season ago, he still gives the Islanders a chance to win every time he’s in the net. The question is if the rest of the roster will step up and take over games, something they haven’t been able to do so far this season.
Dobson’s Creating From The Point
Noah Dobson scored a goal and added an assist in the back-to-back. His goal against the Kraken was a pleasant reminder of his talent as he fired a slapshot to the back of the net for the Islanders’ third goal of the game. The defense has struggled to open up the offense from the point and it’s largely because the skaters aren’t willing to put the puck on the net. Dobson is willing to do so and it’s making him one of the best skaters on the Islanders.
The two points give Dobson five goals and nine assists this season. He leads the Islanders in points and despite being a defenseman, he’s tied with Horvat for the second-most goals on the team. The Islanders, especially on the offensive end of the ice, haven’t looked great but Dobson has been a pleasant surprise and one of the few bright spots this season.
Islanders Aren’t Built For Overtime
The Islanders have played in five overtime games, all of which they have lost. Sure, they’ll take the point but these losses are continuing to hurt them in the standings. They remain in seventh place in the Metropolitan Division and the overtime defeats are costing enough to make a difference.
The struggles in the overtime period make sense. The Islanders are a slower team while the extra ice to make plays usually allows the opponents to gash them with their speed. The shootout losses are surprising largely because they have an elite goaltending duo. Yet, they lost in the shootout to the Kraken, a first for this season, and the last time they won a shootout was last season on March 29 vs the Washington Capitals, a game they took 2-1.
Lambert On The Hotseat?
There are two ways to look at the Islanders’ struggles, especially during the seven-game losing streak. The first explanation is that the roster isn’t all that good. In this case, the team is older, slower, and lacks the talent to win in today’s game. The other explanation is that it reflects the coaching staff and a style that has the team unable to close out games and secure victories.
The results are hard to ignore. The Islanders have allowed six goals, all of which have come on the power play. They’ve allowed four goals or more in each of the past seven games, all of which they’ve lost. The Islanders are committing penalties and shortly afterward, they are allowing goals that are costing them games that they otherwise could have easily won. All of this looks bad for head coach Lane Lambert who is fielding the same team, one that keeps losing, every night, and doing so in a careless manner.
When Barry Trotz was fired, the hope was that Lambert would balance out the roster. The defense would remain a strength but a faster more aggressive offense would make the team more complete. Fast forward to today and the Islanders not only have fallen off defensively, largely because of the overaggressive mindset, but they have been undisciplined as well, losing games with penalties and allowing goals on the power play. Sure the roster needs to improve but for a team to fall apart the way they have, it falls on the head coach. Just ask the Edmonton Oilers who fired Jay Woodcroft after their slow start. The Islanders could be the next team to change coaches if they fail to turn things around.
What’s Next For The Islanders?
The last game of this road trip will be on Saturday, Nov. 18 against the Calgary Flames. The Flames have struggled this season and the Islanders have a prime opportunity to end the road trip on a high note. Likewise, a loss will extend the losing streak to eight games and will leave the Islanders with only two points in a four-game trip.
The Islanders are stumbling this month with only one win in November and the surplus of losses is starting to affect this team. The saying is, you can’t win a championship in the first two months of play but you can certainly lose one. The Islanders at this point have put themselves out of contention and the uphill battle back seems too far.