In the eight games since Patrick Roy took over as head coach, the Islanders have looked like the better team.
They have more control over the puck.
They had a higher percentage of expected goals, dangerous chances and actual goals at 5-on-5 than they did under coach Lane Lambert.
They look like they are trying to take the game to their opponents as opposed to a team that expects their goalie to score.
They were 3-3-2 in eight games under Roy.
Most of the time, it looks good, but it’s not reflected in the results yet.
Nor was that reflected in his scoring, which was 2.75 goals per game under Roy compared to 2.95 goals per game under Lambert.
Adapting to a new system is a time-consuming process.
But with 29 games left in the regular season and a playoff spot by no means certain, time is not a luxury the Islanders have.
They should start scoring against the Rangers on Sunday afternoon at MetLife Stadium to match the improvement that the eye test and statistics show. Otherwise, the Isles will miss the playoffs for the second time in three seasons at UBS Arena.
“Teams are doing a good job of covering the house and not having teams inside,” Matt Barzal told the Post after a short practice Saturday. The Isles were on the ice for the sixth consecutive day. “I think we need to shoot more. I think we need to put the puck on the net more and generate a little more puck. But a lot of it comes down to scoring.”
Barzal, who missed practice twice this week for maintenance but will be fit for Sunday’s game, is enthusiastically embracing Roy’s approach.
He believes more possession helps control games, and he bashed the last four Stanley Cup winners as teams that used that formula successfully.
“Tampa, Colorado, Vegas — they have a lot of possessions, a lot of shots, but they just control the game,” Barzal said. “If you look at Carolina, they’re always in control of the game. I watched them [Friday] Game against Arizona tonight. They controlled the game all night.
“It’s about us controlling the game. I feel like in the past we let other teams control the game. We weren’t necessarily the best possession team in the league. But that’s the model, and I think the secret to winning is to control the ice, which we couldn’t do against Seattle. [on Tuesday]. But when we do it, we find that there is a formula out there that really helps us win. ”
The Islanders’ acceptance of this idea under Roy is a seismic shift in the way they are going to win.
Obviously, it was needed. But whether it’s too late to save the season remains an open question.
Earlier this week, Roy cited internal statistics saying that through the first seven games, the Isles led the league in chances at the net while ranking middling in the slot area.
Those are positive signs, but the Islanders also rank below the 50th percentile in shooting percentage from the net on an annual basis, according to NHL Edge tracking.
“Sometimes you can play well offensively, you have a system, and that looks good. But if you lack that intensity, that hunger, that attacking mind to attack the net aggressively, you don’t get in front of the net. It’s hard to break into the team,” Noah Dobson told the Post. “Everyone plays so hard these days. Even if you get zone time and the offensive zone shifts, you still have to find a way to attack the net. Get inside and create offense. .”
This week has been largely focused on intensity and aggression, with Roy using it as a de facto training camp.
Sunday’s return to action in New York will be the first time the Islanders have played every other day for nine straight days.
Unless they can build some momentum from the mini-break, it will start to feel prudent to look forward to 2024-2025.
“I truly believe that practice is how you play,” Barzal said. “I like hard practices, I like high-intensity practices. That’s how it’s been so far. So I hope that translates.”
