Why the Islanders Offensive Output Lines Up

Some 23 games into the 2017-18 season, our New York Islanders are 3rd in the Metro, 2 pts out of 1st (Devils) and sit 5th in the east for playoff positioning with a 14-7-2 record around the Thanksgiving holiday with 30 points. They have won 3 straight, are the only NHL team to remain undefeated at home (7-0-2) and have a +10 goal differential. Per Eric Hornick, “The Isles are 7-0-2 at home in regulation, matching their best-ever record through 9 home games (7-0-2 in 1978-79 and 8-1-0 in 1984-85).” I guess we can just call the Barclays Center, Fort Neverlose, Brooklyn. Their offensive snarl has been the biggest factor to their success so far this season and has kept them undefeated when scoring first with a 9-0-0 record. They lead the Metro with 84 goals scored (3rd in east behind TOR 88 & TBL 86) and are getting contributions from several sources, going 5-1-0 in their last 6 games over a 10-day period.

The Isles top two lines are buzzing and, to me, it’s about skill and chemistry. Josh Bailey is on fire, leading the Isles with 28 points (5 & 23) in 23 games and 10th in league scoring. Captain and elite playmaker, John Tavares, 11th in league scoring, has 26 (15 & 11). And if anyone needs further proof of what the JT-JB combination can do, just look at the video from 1^st O.T. winning goal against Philly at the Barc from 11/22. The still improving Anders Lee has 23 (12 & 11) pts and has become a priority for opposing defenders. Would be, Calder candidate, Mathew Barzal leads the NHL for rookie with 6 & 17 for 23, has points in 15 of his last 18 games and has more points than players like Austin Mathews and Sidney Crosby with 22 each. Per Hornick, “Barzal now has 2 point streaks of at least 5 games this season -- only NHL rookie to do so.” 


Jordan Eberle (17 pts in 23 games and team high 3 gwg) has scored 2 goals in his last 3 games and 9 in his last 15. Andrew Ladd is a +8 (tied with Boychuk for team +/- lead) with 11 points (5 & 6) and has helped anchor a solid 2nd line chemistry. Nick Leddy has once again taken center stage on the Isles blue line and should be given Norris consideration with an impressive 20 points (6 & 14) and has a league leading 8 multi-point games as a defensemen. Islanders' statistician, Eric Hornick points out, “An Islander defenseman has earned a point on 11 of the team's last 12 goals.” Hornick also adds, “With 21 points in 23 games this season, Leddy is averaging .91 points/game … No Islander defenseman without the surname of Potvin has ever averaged .91 points/game over a full season (Denis did it 10 times and Jean once).”

The Islanders PP is 12th at 21.9%, having clicked for six straight games. Their normally dominant PK is 16th in the NHL at 80%. The Isles are just 27th in face off percentage (46.9%) and turn the puck over often, tied with Buffalo with a league leading 7 short handed goals allowed. On the goaltending side of things, Jaroslav Halak improved to a 6-6-0 record with a 2-1 win against OTT. Halak has a 2.96 gaa and .903Sv%. Thomas Greiss has been solid as a starter, winning 5 straight with an 8-2-0 record (3.34gaa and .903Sv%.)

The Islanders will face the Vancouver Canucks at home on Tuesday. It will be the first head-to-head meeting of the two (currently) top scoring rookies, Mathew Barzal and Brock Boeser.  On Friday, Ottawa comes to Brooklyn. The Isles start a 4-game road trip (in 6 days) on Monday, 12/4 against FLA, TBL, PIT & BOS.

Isles Notes:

Face-off specialist and lock down player, Casey Cizikas left the game against OTT with a lower body injury early in the second period and did not return. He is being evaluated.

Isles Prospect Report.

11/16:  Josh Ho-Sang emergency recall has been terminated and changed to regular recall.

Isles placed Nikolay Kulemin on IR (upper body), retroactive to November 7, expected to be out for 6 months.

And after the smoke cleared, the Isles got Barzal, Beau and Eberle for Reinhart and Strome.

Eberle:  Per Edmonton Journal, “The Edmonton media can be pretty brutal and your confidence goes and this is a game you can’t play if you don’t have confidence. It’s that simple. It’s the Edmonton Oilers and everything around it. When you read the articles every day about how much you suck, its tough … It affects you and I lost my confidence. The biggest thing for me since I got here (New York) with the Islanders is trying to get that back”.

Sound Tigers Notes:

The BST Bridgeport are now 10-7-1 so far this season and 7-2-1 in their last ten games.

Bridgeport amphitheater approved by council.

Shameless 501st plug:  I hope to be at the BST Star Wars Tribute Night on 12/2 again, this time with the 501st Connecticut Garrison. Be sure to stop by and say hello to the 181st Tie Pilot ;).

NHL Notes:

Per Michael Farber, “NHL was formed 100 years ago today at the Windsor Hotel in Montreal with the Original 4: @CanadiensMTL, MTL Wanderers, @Senators and the snappily named Toronto Hockey Club.” More Centennial information can be found here.

How Islanders Improved: My 5 Keys

What’s bigger news than Matt Duchene finally being traded last night after only 3 shifts on the ice in Brooklyn to a team that’s not the Rangers? I would say that our New York Islanders have been winning games. They are currently 4th in the eastern conference (8-5-1 with 17 points) and two points out of first place with two games at hand. After a decent, but mostly lackluster start, struggles to score, hold leads, apply pressure, tighten up defensively and a PP that was a dismal 0-20, New York put a few things in line to start their trend towards the top of their division. They’ve also been impressive in some problem areas and have showcased some big-time performances by Vets and Young Guns along the way. Tonight, I want to share my 5 keys to the Isles latest surge and talk about the assets that have finally clicked all at once helping to aid the surge.

John Tavares:  When asked once again about a contract extension, the trade deadline and the chances of relocating, he answered the same way he always does. “Not from my standpoint,’’ he said. “I don’t expect to be traded or want to be traded. I want to play here. That’s my goal, it hasn’t changed . . . I’m here as an Islander, really enjoy being the captain and try to give these guys everything every day.’’ Tavares had a slow start, but has come on to lead by example as expected with 18 points (12 & 6 with a +3 rating, a 25% S% and a 50% rating in the FO circle) in 14 games.

Mathew Barzal:  Mathew Barzal has 13 points in last 9 games and is the first Isles rookie to score five points in a single game since John Tavares (2-3-5) did it on Mar. 16, 2010. Barzal had 5 assists against the Avalanche last night and it was the first time an Islanders player accomplished that feat since LaFontaine did it in 1990. Per Eric Hornick, Barzal “is the first Isles rookie in at least 30 years to have 13 points in the first 14 games of a season.” Barzal also now has a 5-game point streak (2-8-10). Barzal spoke to reporters after last night’s win. "It's a pretty cool thing to do," Barzal said. "I'm growing more confident every day and nights like tonight don't really hurt. I'm just trying to fit in and make an impact." Barzal continues to be a standout rookie and asset for New York. I forgot to remind everyone that Avs GM,  Joe Sakic wanted Hamonic, Barzal, Sorokin and a 1st for Duchene.

Coaching Staff:  Per Eric Hornick, “Doug Weight is now 32-17-5 as an NHL coach. On October 28 in Nashville, he reached 30 wins faster than any coach in Islander history.” His new look staff has the Isles keeping it together and starting to make some significant noise in the east. Whether it’s shuffling lines, working on face-offs, special teams (PP 8^th at 22.4% and PK 13^th at 81.3%) or just pushing for his players to play a more disciplined game that had been lacking before, Weight has made a difference after taking over as coach & doesn’t hesitate to call them out as a group and make the difficult choices to support what he wants from his team on the ice. Demoting Josh Ho-Sang was not a popular move among fans, but Ho-Sang has 5 points in 5 games (2 & 3) with the Tigers and is a +2. Exactly what he needed to work on and he has responded so far. The Islanders have gone 3-2 since Ho-Sang was sent down and the turn overs continue, but they have played better as a unit and their PP has vastly improved. But they still have some major challenges to work on. The goal-tending could be better overall and if they could just buckle down on a league high 6 SHGs (4 for Halak and 2 for Greiss) surrendered and 4th worst 0.5 takeaway/giveaway rating.

Offensive Depth with a newly effective Power Play: The Islanders are 3rd in the NHL for goal scoring (54), scored in 17 straight periods and the 3^rd has been the most impressive for New York, with 16 goals for in their last 7 games. The offensive attack has been varied and balanced. Tavares and Bailey have 18 points, Lee (50% FO%) and Barzal (48% FO%) with 13 and Eberle, 11 and Nick Leddy has 10 after just 14 games. Josh Bailey (3 & 15 for 18 pts) is on pace for another huge season. Bailey was named 2nd star of the week (1^st time being named an NHL star in career) and is riding an NHL high 9 game point scoring streak. Josh Bailey is the first Islander with 15 assists (currently 2^nd in NHL) in the first 14 games in the last 30+ seasons; he now has 3 consecutive multi-assist games and has tallied 11 assists in the last five games. – Hornick. Per Arthur Staple, “Since the start of 2016-17, Josh Bailey has 56 assists. Only 10 players have more — McDavid, Backstrom, Karlsson, P. Kane among them.” As a team, the Isles have scored 6 goals for the third time in 4 games. More importantly, it appears they have finally found their PP touch. “The Isles' power play scored on both of their opportunities and is now 9-16 (56.3%) in the last four games after starting the season 2-33 … They are 5-1-0 when they score at least one power play goal and 3-4-1 when they dont.  The Isles are 5-2-0 when they allow at least one power play goal and 3-3-1 when they do not.” – Hornick. They have scored 2 PPG in each of their last 4 games. Wow. I pinned the success of the team on the PP this year. Lets hope this is for real. And maybe they can find a way to win a few more face-offs throughout the line up.

Home Ice Advantage: Despite the constant complaints about the poor ice at the Barclays Center, wavering attendance and enough off-ice Arena uncertainty to make most fans crazy, Our New York Islanders are 52-23-13 (5-0-1 so far, this season) since moving to Brooklyn at the start of the 2015-16 season. After last night’s “mostly” thrilling win against the Avalanche, The Isles hold a 25-5-4 record against western teams who come to Brooklyn and the Organization still can’t wait to leave. Long standing rumors have the John Tavares extension based on a stable relocation that includes a custom-built NHL compatible arena, in which the Islanders would be able to hang their many proud banners. There is no official time table for the Belmont approval, but Isles co-owner John Ledecky has set his sights there and nowhere else. After a $7M upgrade to their practice facility, Ledecky and Isles brass have started an infrastructure to make the Isles a first-class organization that will attract fans and free agents alike.

The Isles face Edmonton at home on Tuesday at 7 pm in front of the New York Isles faithful. 

Advantage: Islanders.

Isles Notes:

Shane Prince practiced with the Isles today.

VGK, Griffin Reinhart was put on waivers 10/29. Reinhart trade turned into Mathew Barzal and Anthony Beauvillier for garth Snow and the Islanders.

Per @Zeb_Habs, “Linus Söderström, Isles goalie prospect gets the nod for the National team in the Karjala Cup tournament.”

Former Isles Captain, Mark Streit announced his retirement on Oct.30th and is returning to Switzerland.

The BOAHC, @Section_329 need your support: It's time once again for their annual food drive, from now until 11/19. A collection to donate to those in need will take place at any Isles home games. Go to section 228/229, to any of their posted viewing parties or contact Craig Richardson, James Francis Fess or Tom Ballantyne for more details. #BOAFoodDrive

NHL Notes:

Calgary Flames place Travis Hamonic on injured reserve, retroactive to Nov. 2.

Sound Tigers Notes:

“Sebastian Aho scored four times last weekend and goaltenders Christopher Gibson and Kristers Gudlevskis each recorded a shutout as the Bridgeport Sound Tigers (6-5-0-0), proud AHL affiliate of the New York Islanders, swept a three-game series against the Providence Bruins and Springfield Thunderbirds.

The Sound Tigers outscored their opponents 10-2 over the weekend, including Aho's three-goal performance on Sunday, which put the 21-year-old into Bridgeport's record books as the first Sound Tigers defenseman to ever record a hat trick. It was also the first time Bridgeport has registered a hat trick against the Bruins and team's first overall since Alan Quine did it on April 2, 2016.”

Per Christian Arnold, Islanders Insight, "NEGOTIATIONS ONGOING BETWEEN SOUND TIGERS AND CITY OF BRIDGEPORT."

Matt Gaudreau (F) has been loaned to the @RailersHC.