Islanders Need To Start Making Their Home An Advantage
The Islanders are 1-3-1 on UBS Arena ice this season.
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ISLANDERS NEWS
Patrick Roy Pushing Pierre Engvall To Be More Aggressive: 'That's His Ticket'- THN
Islanders On The Lookout For Left-Side Defenseman, Three Trade Possibilities - THN
With Barzal Out, Wahlstrom Gets Yet Another Chance To Prove His Worth To Roy
Islanders Offensive Struggles Don't Just Fall On Forward Group - THN
Islanders Brock Nelson, Anders Lee & Bo Horvat Remember Johnny Gaudreau - THN
Islanders Goalie Ilya Sorokin Breaks Another Career Record As Hot Start Continues - THN
Islanders & Their Battle With Mental Toughness: 'We Have To Find A Way To Calm Down The Play - THN
Patrick Roy Pushing Pierre Engvall To Be More Aggressive: 'That's His Ticket'
EAST MEADOW, NY -- The way that New York Islanders forward Pierre Engvall played against the Buffalo Sabres and the New York Rangers is the exact game he needs to bring on a nightly basis to stick in Patrick Roy's lineup.
"He's a good skater. I mean, he could skate to Sweden, no problem, and I'm not sure he'd be tired," Roy said. "But, I will say this. He needs to bring pucks to the net. That's his ticket, and when he does that, I like him as a player."
Read More at The Hockey News.
Could Islanders Mimic Romanov Trade If Montreal Canadiens’ Xhekaj Hits Market?
The New York Islanders are on the lookout for a left-handed defenseman with Adam Pelech out for 4-6 weeks and no timetable on Mike Reilly's return.
But, with Reilly in the final year of his deal and the blue line's history of injuries, could the Islanders go and make a long-term move?
They did so at the 2022 NHL Draft in Montreal when they acquired Alexander Romanov from the Montreal Canadiens, along with the 98th pick for their 13th overall pick in 2022.
A move that was ridiculed at the time, Romanov has turned into a top-flight defenseman, taking tremendous strides on both sides of the puck over the last two years and is still only 24.
If the Canadiens make 23-year-old defenseman Arber Xhekaj available, the Islanders will likely inquire.
Read more about how the game unfolded at The Hockey News.
Islanders Need To Start Making Their Home An Advantage
If the New York Islanders want to turn their season around, they must perform better in front of their home crowd.
Through five games on UBS Arena ice, the team is 1-3-1, having been outscored 18-11 despite outshooting opponents 162-112. The Islanders have scored first in three of those games but only hold a 1-1-1 record, failing to record a point when allowing the first goal, which they’ve done twice.
The power play has only come through 13.6 percent of the time, while the penalty kill on home ice has really struggled, killing off penalties at only a 33.3 percent clip.
There’s no question special teams need to improve across the board, but especially on home ice.
Outside of being in front of your own fans, the biggest advantage when it comes to playing at home is that you get second change, meaning head coach Patrick Roy gets to control the matchup game. And with all the injuries to the forward group and backend, having the right matchups becomes paramount, especially when you face the likes of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin like the Islanders do on Tuesday night.
Here’s what the Islanders should do every time No. 87 and his line hit the ice at UBS Arena.