Islanders’ defensive struggles return at worst possible time
One of the first things Patrick Roy tried to change when he took over behind the Islanders’ bench was the club’s abysmal defense. He espoused the theory that without the puck, the opponent could not score, and introduced a system that focused on puck possession. He understood that two defensemen and three forwards could not […]
Ilya Sorokin was never going to repeat last year’s brilliant Islanders campaign
The thing about Ilya Sorokin’s 2023-24 season is that it was almost always impossible for him to achieve the standards he set for himself again. Sorokin, who posted a .924 save percentage in 62 games and led the Islanders to the playoffs in 2022-23, was more than deserving of winning the Vezina Trophy, where he […]
Islanders’ four-game skid comes at inopportune time
Of course, the Islanders are aware of the situation they find themselves in in the standings, which is what made the third period of Sunday’s 5-2 loss to the Rangers such a complete mess. The Islanders didn’t play their best 40 minutes by any means, but they were held goalless with 20 minutes remaining, long […]
Rangers’ Ryan Lindgren leaves game vs. Islanders with injury
The Rangers are once again holding tight on Ryan Lindgren. Over the past few years, the Blueshirts have gotten used to seeing Lindgren get back up and healthy even when he looks like he’s been hit hard. But there was no immediate reprieve when he fell into the left corner after taking a hit from […]
Patrick Roy wants Islanders to ‘simplify’ offense
Patrick Roy would like to see the Islanders add a little more grease to their game. After Saturday’s 4-3 overtime loss to the Senators for the third straight year, the Islanders’ head coach said, not for the first time, that his team was overpassing the puck instead of throwing it at the net. Told. “I […]
Patrick Roy sees no reason to ‘panic’ after two straight Islanders losses
The Islanders’ two-game losing streak hasn’t set any alarm bells ringing, and the coaching staff has no intention of shaking up the lineup that won their first six games. “We’re going to follow the program closely. I like the mix,” Patrick Roy told reporters after Friday’s practice. “But like I said before, we’re not afraid […]
Islanders can’t wait to fix sudden scoring troubles
To find out the last time the Islanders lost consecutive shutouts, you have to go back 49 months. That time, it was a chaotic two-game series, with losses 5-0 and 1-0 in Nashville and Las Vegas. The 7-on-4 stretch was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Yes, the 120-minute chaotic offense that ruined a promising […]
Islanders completely fall apart against Sabres to end road trip
BUFFALO — A road trip that started on a high ended with a bang. The Islanders’ six-game winning streak that catapulted them back into playoff contention loomed large in the rearview mirror on Thursday, as the visiting team fell apart with a heartbreaking second straight 4-0 loss to the Sabers. And a tired performance at […]
Mathew Barzal sets high standards for Islanders’ new top line
BUFFALO — On Thursday morning, Matthew Barzal talked about the Islanders’ budding superstar-filled top line, naming Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point as a bar for himself, Bo Horvat and Brock Nelson to aim for. , citing Steven Stamkos’ Lightning Trio. arrival. “That line is tough, it’s tough to play against,” Barzal said before the Islanders’ […]
Islanders vow to fix ‘slow’ power play
BUFFALO — One of the only things that went wrong during the Islanders’ six-game winning streak was on the power play. Monday night, I finally caught up. A 0-for-5 performance in a 5-for-4 game led to a 3-0 loss to the Kings — the Isles’ first loss since Feb. 24 — but the struggles continued. […]