RALEIGH, N.C. — After the Islanders’ recent game against the Bruins, the conversation in the visitors’ dressing room at TD Garden was heavily focused on their ineffective power play, which went 0-for-5. It feels like perhaps they should also consider their entire special teams setup.
In the 5-2 defeat to Boston, the Islanders failed to score on their 10-minute power play and allowed two goals on the penalty kill, which has now seen seven power-play goals scored against them in the past seven games.
As it stands, the Islanders’ penalty kill percentage is at 70.97, putting them at 25th in the league leading into Wednesday’s matchup. While they might argue that many goals were scored late on opponents’ power plays, it nonetheless highlights a troubling trend: goals are still going in against them.
Despite the numbers, it’s apparent that the Islanders have shown some improvement on both their power play and penalty kill compared to last year. Yet, this might come with the caveat of having had very low expectations the previous season, when they struggled to even enter the offensive zone consistently during power plays.
There are, however, some essential aspects being overlooked. What truly counts is the scoreboard. Right now, their power play, sitting at 15.63%, isn’t converting enough opportunities, and the penalty kill isn’t stopping enough goals.
Matthew Schaefer shared his thoughts on the situation, expressing, “I thought we could see a little bit of it. I think there’s an extra step for us here. We’ve got more stuff. We’ve got more talent there. I think we can do a lot of dangerous things.” He was right about the potential; during their time on the power play against the Bruins, they appeared dangerous, but the performance wasn’t where it needed to be.
Yet none of this adds up to the crucial goals they require.
Meanwhile, Isles prospect Cole Yzerman missed Wednesday’s team practice due to a foot injury sustained during Boston College’s win against UW on Saturday. Coach Jay Pandolfo, as reported by BU’s Daily Free Press, noted that Yzerman’s status fluctuates each week, although he’s no longer using crutches. “He will be back sooner or later,” Pandolfo mentioned.
