The State Of The Isles: 5 Thoughts After Carolina 4-0 Blanking
The Islanders have a lot to think about over the next few days after their disasterful performance in Raleigh.
From bad to worse.
The New York Islanders hoped that getting Mathew Barzal and Adam Pelech back into the lineup on Sunday would provide a spark, but the result was a 5-3 loss to the lousy Chicago Blackhawks.
The Islanders weren’t completely healthy despite the returnees, as Bo Horvat missed the game due to a lower-body injury while Anthony Duclair remained on long-term injured reserve.
While Duclair wasn’t ready for their game against the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday, Horvat was back in the lineup, and the final result was even worse: a 4-0 shutout loss where the group was lethargic for too many stretches.
I’m not a psychic, but having Duclair in the lineup likely doesn’t change the results, and now it makes you wonder what the ceiling is for this group even when Duclair returns and maybe Mike Reilly down the road.
The injured players returning, so far, haven’t helped on either side of the special-team scale, with both dead last in the NHL and teetering on ending the season at historically bad marks if things don't change.
Had it not been for the Tampa Bay Lightning beating the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday, the Islanders would have woken up dead last in the Metropolitan Division.
While the Islanders aren’t mathematically out of it — they sit two points back of the Pittsburgh Penguins for the second wild-card spot— there are zero signs from the players to head coach Patrick Roy to general manager Lou Lamoriello that a turnaround is right around the corner or even at the next side street.
The team has no spark. The new defensive coach, Tommy Albelin, hasn’t been able to figure out how to fix the defensive blunders or the penalty kill, while John MacLean’s power-play techniques have resulted in nothing.
The players aren’t responding to Roy’s fire of passion, as issues that began after Barry Trotz left are still issues to this day.
Goaltender Ilya Sorokin literally and figuratively broke his back due to weak defense in front of him, which led to offseason back surgery this past summer. He looks like a different goalie over these last few games, as nine straight starts behind the struggling blue line will do that.
The concern on the goalie front is that Marcus Hogberg, who the Islanders signed to bolster their depth and play if need be because of Semyon Varlamov’s history of missing stretches the last few years, hasn’t been given an opportunity outside of two relief appearances where he hasn’t allowed a goal.
There’s a lot to think about over these next few days before the Islanders battle the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night at 7:30 PM.
1. Who starts in goal?
Sorokin is on the brink of starting his 10th straight game, being pulled twice over this stretch. It’s hard to think that because of three days between games he won’t get the start, but at what point does Hogberg get a chance to start a game? Is it worth seeing what Hogberg can do, and if not, what’s the point of him being up here or signing him in the first place if the trust wasn’t there?
2. Is it time to sit a regular?
Sitting Pierre Engvall might have sparked him here and there, but it has had zero effect on the group as a whole. If Anthony Duclair was to play on Tuesday, it would have been second-year player Kyle MacLean coming out of the lineup. With the way Casey Cizikas has played as of late, playing the fewest minutes on the team in Tuesday’s loss, is it time for the 14-year veteran to watch from the press box? Would that send a shockwave through the Islanders’ system?
3. Is it worth throwing speed on the penalty kill?
I dove on this in Tuesday morning’s column, but the penalty kill needs a boost.
Whether it’s Mathew Barzal’s wheels or Pierre Engvall’s reach, there needs to be a change. Doing the same thing over and over again is the definition of insanity, and the fans are going insane right now over the PK failing.
The penalty kill now sits at 64.3%, continuing to be the worst in the NHL.
4. Is it time to just run the line that’s going on the power play?
The Islanders power play is at 12.1 percent after going 0-for-1 on the man advantage against Carolina. They had just one shot on goal.
Here were the units:
PP: QB-LW-RW-Bumper-Net
PP1: Cholowski-Barzal-Holmstrom-Horvat-Lee
PP2: Dobson-Palmieri-Nelson-Pageau-Tsyplakov
My idea here is just run the line that is cooking or whichever line is least-cold. Also, it’s time for one of the wingers to start shooting one-timers because it’s become clear as day, every power play, that the one-timer from the bumper is the No. 1 look, and opposing PKs are reading it like a children’s book.
5. There’s no more time for moral victories.
Early in the season, taking the moral high ground was an okay option because the Islanders were keeping games close, and they were banged up. But, right now, the glass-half-full approach isn’t cutting it.
After their loss to the Hurricanes, Roy credited the Hurricanes more than discrediting his team, and that seemed like a miss. Then again, does bashing the team in the media work? It’s clear that they didn’t respond at all the last time Roy voiced his displeasure after they stopped playing up 5-1 in a 5-4 loss to the Blackhawks last Thursday.
Hurricanes Wipe Out, Shut Out Islanders 4-0
RALEIGH, NC -- The New York Islanders were shut out for the fifth time this season, falling 4-0 to the Carolina Hurricanes at Lenovo Center on Tuesday.
Ilya Sorokin was pulled for the second time in seven games, with the Islanders doing a brutal job at protecting him.
On the other end, Pyotr Kochetkov made 32 saves for his first shutout since March 30.
Read how the game unfolded HERE.
Islanders Injured Forward Cleared To Return, But Will Take His Time
RALEIGH, NC -- Let's start with the bad news.
New York Islanders forward Anthony Duclair will not be able to get into the lineup against the Carolina Hurricanes despite traveling on this mini two-game trip.
The 29-year-old was ruled out of playing Sunday against the Chicago Blackhawks, but head coach Patrick Roy didn't close the book on him returning to the lineup on Tuesday when we spoke Saturday before their flight to the Windy City.
Duclair has been medically cleared, and now it’s up to him.
Read more at The Hockey News.
THE SKINNY & LATEST ISLANDERS STORIES
Here’s "The Skinny" from Eric Hornick (Brendan Burke and Butch Goring’s MSG Networks statistician). The site is updated after each game with incredible statistics and facts.
Hornick Gems: The Isles have allowed the opening goal in eight straight games and an NHL-leading 21 times this season.
Check out much more at Hornick’s The Skinny: Carolina 4, Isles 0
THN Isles: Islanders Sporting NHL's Worst Power Play; Something Has To Change
THN Isles: Islanders First-Liner To Miss Game In Chicago-- And His Name Isn't Mat Barzal
THN National: After Heatley Returned To Ottawa, Will Islanders, Fans Ever Honor Tavares After His Career?
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In Free Agency look for gritty tough speedy and relatively young PK players. Barzel and Dobson should spend a Summer with Adam Oates. Potential is not enough they both are well beyond that stage. Both get in the weight room and show a little nasty to their game. Those two need to lead the team in every category!
Give the fans hope for the future. The off Ice job that UBS and management has created is fantastic. It’s a retooling so pull the trigger we are in the correct position now. No one is hurt amongst the guys you want to move. Contenders would rather incorporate pieces earlier than later. To rob a line from Margin Call” Be First”. This team competing is an illusion, and competing for what eighth place in game 82.