Friday, May 13, 2016

KoC Season in Review – Change And Consequence: Our 2015-16 New York Islanders, Part 1



Our New York Islanders did a few good things this year.  They opened the season at the Barclays Center and really gave their new and existing fans something to cheer about. Amidst the growing number of sellouts and 25-11-5 home record, the Islanders compiled the most points (55) since the 03’ season.  Everyone even seemed to look past the off-center scoreboard, amended seating chart, bad ice conditions, awkward commute and on and off site Brooklyn practice schedules.  I asked a few fans about their experiences at the Barc.  Stuart Oppenheimer felt the team started feeling at home and fans started to fill the arena with some of the same passions from the old barn.  329, now 229, Paul Cartier and Sparky are back and some of the little things made it seem familiar again.  But the atmosphere and community is always about the fans.  “I have nothing but the utmost respect & applause for the way our fans supported us this year. It was a magical environment." -Garth Snow


The Barclays center and the Isles faithful had some growing pains at the start, but soon learned how to exist together.  The venue needed to understand the ins and outs of a hockey fan and the Isles fans learned to adjust to their new home.  A few of my friends at Real Islander Fans had some things to say.  Rob Meagher noticed, “The ushers went from "What is this noise" to "Let’s go Islanders!"  A few concerns still remain and without the ability to return to Nassau and the NVMC, thanks to political B.S., many say it’s starting to feel like home.  And finally, George Davies thinks the modern day Isles reminds him of 75-76 team, ”getting there but still needs some fine tuning.”


They made the playoffs for the second consecutive year (1st time since ’04), won a series to reach the second round, a feat not accomplished since 1993 as a member of the final 8.  They attained the 100 point mark (45-27-10) for the second consecutive year (1st time since ’82) and finished 5th in a competitive eastern conference.  They swept the New York Rangers, driving Henrik Lundqvist nuts, while seeing what Thomas Greiss - their backup goaltender - could offer when it mattered most, and were reminded yet again of what kind of player they have in John Tavares.  But most importantly, the Islanders looked as if they started to believe they could win.  Most of the time, anyway.


I had some observations and also noted a few stats provided by the mighty Eric Hornick.  There were similarities from the last two seasons. Offensively, The Islanders were close in scoring at a +22 to a +16 differential.  They showed some strengths in coming from behind, but found themselves there far too often for my liking.  And their third period misfires played a role in their end of season positioning.


John Tavares had a slow start, but found his groove later in the season (33 & 37 for 70pts) to lead New York to the playoff pool once again.  His leadership and chippiness was infectious and helped the Isles elevate their game behind his example.  Tavares had the memorable game 6, series O.T. winner, against Florida and scored 6 big goals in the post season.  Anders Lee struggled a bit on the score sheet (15 & 21 for 36 pts), but the value of his net-front presence and the impact of his contributions on ice was evident after a broken leg into the post season.  Matt Martin, Casey Cizikas & Cal Clutterbuck (71pts) were big, yet again, this year.  They do anything and everything for this team and can change the complexion of a game with a big hit or timely goal.


Ryan Strome was 8 & 29 for 28pts and a -9 rating on the season and seemed to find the dog house a couple of times with a drop in his productivity.  Last year, he was 17 & 33 for 50pts in 14-15 with a +23 rating.  Brock Nelson struggled at times and was also questioned on his work ethic.  The curious performance of Josh Bailey (12 & 20 for 32pts) has taken him in and out of the Isles top lines. And although he has been a decent two-way player, he’s fallen short of his 1st round, 9th overall expectations to many fans.  Mikhail Grabovski showed flashes of rebounding from last year’s concussion set back. Unfortunately, it didn’t last. And then there was Nikolay Kulemin (31pts in 14-15 and 22pts this season) who struggled to play his consistent two-way game at times.


The defense and goaltending helped the team rank 13th in goals against (211).  Nick Leddy finished strong and has game changing potential with his puck control and speed.  The Travis Hamonic distraction has come to an end.  Even within the threat of an impending trade, Hamonic delivered for the Islanders defensively while scoring a career high 5 goals (& 16 for 21pts).  Johnny Boychuk went from 9 & 16 for 25pts and a team leading +17 rating in the regular season, to no points and a -7 in 11 playoff games.  Some speculated that he might be hurt towards the end of the playoff run, but Boychuk denied it.  I’m not worried.  Calvin de Haan had a good year with just a few mistakes in the playoffs.  I think he is turning into a good defensemen.


Thomas Hickey has been good for several years now.  The undersized Isles D has made some serious contributions to the team since being claimed on waivers from the Kings in ‘13.  The 2007, 4th overall, first round pick has developed in the Isles system and become a reliable blue liner who chips in on big moments. Most notably the game 3, round 1 GWG against the Panthers.  Brian Strait had a few good games again, but seems to really be on the decline.  The frustrations of seeing him in the lineup over Pulock or Mayfield can get to even the most patient fan.


Special teams were a wild ride for the Islanders this year.  Their up and down PP finished 14th (18.3%) in the regular season, but stalled out in the playoffs leaving the team with several missed opportunities and was probably a contributing factor (4 of 18) to the series loss in round 2.  Their PK was an asset and one of the best in the NHL, finishing 4th (84.5%) in the regular season.


Part 2 will focus on goaltending, prospects, free agency and the organization.  Coming soon.





KoC Notes:


It looks like my 6th year as an Isles blogger has come and gone.  I love writing about this team despite the challenges I face to do it.  I could not have done it without the support of my family, friends and the key supporters on social media.  Facebook, Twitter, Google and Isles Reddit help me reach a much wider audience and for that, I thank you all.


You know who you are and you have my sincere thanks.



Isles Notes:



Per Arthur Staple, “Isles have placed Sebastian Collberg on uncondtional waivers. Forward acquired in Vanek-MTL deal didn't pan out. Off to Europe.”



No comments:

Post a Comment