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 1st 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).”
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.
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.
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.
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