Eight Things Islanders Need To Prove vs. Capitals
From Barzal’s bounce-back moment to Sorokin’s chance at redemption, several Islanders need big nights with jobs on the line.
The New York Islanders have lost three straight games as they gear up to conclude their three-game road trip against the Washington Capitals.
As a team and individually, this team has a lot to prove. Here’s eight things on this Free Friday:
Mathew Barzal: Let’s not sugarcoat anything here. By missing the morning skate team bus, he let his teammates down. Now, he has the chance to redeem himself with a tremendous effort against Washington. The organization needs to see Barzal at his best, weaving through the neutral zone and cutting to the net, not always peeling back along the half-wall.
Ilya Sorokin: Forget the stats. Sorokin knows he hasn’t been at his best to start the season, and they really need him to find his game. After coming up short the last time Alex Ovechkin was facing a milestone, he’ll have a chance to redeem himself with No. 8, who sits a goal shy of 900 for his career. He needs to be aggressive. He needs to show, early on, that he’s confident in his abilities — attack the puck, not wait for it to come. Prove to the organization that you’re the guy.
Maxim Tsyplakov: Honestly, after the way he played against Carolina, there’s a good chance Tsyplakov won’t get to prove anything against the Capitals — that’s if the Islanders call up Calum Ritchie…Tsyplakov may not be a bottom-six forward, but that’s the role he’s been given, and he has to find a way to make it count. His puck-handling failures, especially in his own zone, will keep him out of this lineup soon if he doesn’t clean things up. And depending on how others play, he may not be able to regain that role. So, if he’s in, he needs to keep his game simple, go North — when in doubt, boards and out — and focus on playing a really strong defensive game because it could be his last chance.
Anthony Duclair: It was a great start to the season for Duclair, but his play has cooled off a bit. We saw Duclair dropped to the fourth line in the loss to Carolina with grit and tenacity missing from his game. We knew he wasn’t 100% entering training camp and that it would take time, but his strong start to the season, especially his skating, made us think he was past that. And he seems to be, but his play has stalled, and if he wants to remain in the top six, he needs to start executing.
Matthew Schaefer: Despite a strong start to the game against Carolina, Schaefer struggled defensively in the second half of the game. Taylor Hall crossed him up with a few dekes before feeding Jackson Blake for a goal, before Andrei Svechnikov used his big frame to go right around him for another. It’s a learning moment for Schaefer, who has shown an innate ability to rebound even after mistakes. So, against the Capitals, it’s another opportunity to continue to show that he won’t be affected when things go south as he continues to learn and develop at the NHL level.
Patrick Roy: At times this season, we’ve seen his structure work to a tee. But, too often, it hasn’t, and with how leaky the defense has been this season, it’s getting to the point where it may just not work the way it’s currently constructed. Now, this is the first season where Roy is able to have the Islanders playing the way he wants after breaking away from the Lou Lamoriello shackles, with Mathieu Darche’s ideology in sync with his. The goals are there — more often than not — but he needs his defense to know that they can’t continue to play the way they are playing, or they stand no chance.
P & P Pairing: Adam Pelech (-4) and Ryan Pulock (-3) had a very tough night in Carolina. This pair in particular needs to bounce back and play like they did a few years back. The need to shut down defenders, not be the weak link, especially with Alexander Romanov just returning and Matthew Schaefer continuing to learn and develop. They need vintage P & P against Washington, and we know they still have it in them because we’ve seen it at times this season.
As a whole: The Islanders aren’t playing the hockey they believe they are capable of playing. Darche made it clear during his introductory press conference that he would evaluate this roster before taking any drastic action. He never gave a games-played deadline, and it gets late early. With Ritchie waiting in the wings, a lineup spot will have to be created sooner than later, so everyone should be playing for their jobs right now — and it doesn’t feel like they are.
This team has some good players and pieces. It’s up to Darche to sell off assets that don’t fit the two year timeline, at the right moments to contenders. Defensive lapses are more foot speed than anything else. Gotta inject youth into PK. Ritchie and George are perfect for that role. Team is too easy to play against as presently constructed. If a Romanov Kashawn Aitcheson are on their game, opponents aren’t comfortable. Now there is zero concern by opponents entering the OZone , between the Dots, or in the slot. I’m sure Darche is fully aware of the present situation. We also need bigger more physical forwards sprinkled in among the skilled guys here and coming in the near future.