Film Room: Power Play Insights With Former Islanders, NHL Forward Rob Schremp
Former Islanders forward Rob Schremp breaks down power-play tactics, creativity, and scoring instincts in this Film Room analysis, offering unique NHL insight and Islanders perspective.
NASHVILLE — The New York Islanders found themselves in a prime situation to add to a 1-0 lead against the Nashville Predators at 18:29 of the second period when they earned their first power play of the night.
However, not only did they fail to capitalize on the man advantage, but they also allowed a shorthanded goal by Ryan O’Reilly with just 31 seconds to play in the middle frame.
The Islanders had a chance to redeem themselves when they headed back to the power play just 2:10 into the third period.
No dice.
While the Islanders did force overtime and earn a crucial point to begin their seven-game road trip, they ultimately fell 2-1 in a shootout.
All eyes are on the power play, which has the talent to help their struggling 5-on-5 offense, but the execution remains subpar.
Anders Lee: “We attacked a couple of times from down low. Ritchie had a chance, but they pressured. And I don’t think we got set up the way we wanted to. Had a close tip on one, Tony bringing it in, but we can get set up and start moving a little bit better. But as I said, we had a couple of looks at it.”
Calum Ritchie: “It’s frustrating. Obviously, you want to score. And we got scored on the one, a bit unlucky. Hopefully, we start to get more power plays. Last two games, we haven’t had any. I tried to jam it on the one look and popped out to Drouin, and then it hit me in the leg. So it’s a little bit of bad luck there. But yeah, hopefully we start to get that rolling.”
Patrick Roy: “I was not happy with the two chances, the goal we gave up and the chance we gave right after. But I will say this. I mean, I thought we moved the puck fairly well, and we had some…too bad, because I thought the play from Lee to Duclair…I thought that [Nashville] made a really good defensive play on it, but that was a good opportunity for us.”
After the 0-for-2 night, the power play now sits at 15.7%, which ranks sixth-worst in the NHL. Since the calendar flipped to 2026, their man advantage has come through just one time on eight tries.
I sat down with former Islanders and NHL forward Rob Schremp, who, using film and a whiteboard, broke down what he’s been seeing from the Islanders’ power play this season.
Happy Free Friday!
Here’s some background on Rob Schremp before the video: He was selected 25th overall by Edmonton in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft and appeared in 114 NHL games with the Oilers, New York Islanders, and Atlanta Thrashers, recording 20 goals and 34 assists for 54 points, with his most productive seasons coming with the Islanders in 2009–10 and 2010–11. Of his 20 career goals, nine came on the power play. Following his NHL tenure, Schremp continued his professional career in Europe, playing in Sweden’s SHL, the KHL, Switzerland’s National League, Austria, and Germany before retiring in 2018. Since retiring, he has worked in hockey development and operations, including coaching and administrative roles internationally, while also pursuing business ventures outside of professional hockey.
