Roy’s Challenges with Islanders Defense
When Patrick Roy stepped in as the Islanders’ head coach, he turned the team around and guided them to the 2024 playoffs, largely due to significant improvements on the defensive side.
Roy revamped the team’s strategy, switching to a mostly man-to-man defense that focused on what he termed “second quicks.” He also added an extra defender along the boards to generate turnovers. This approach worked remarkably well; the Islanders transformed from one of the worst defensive teams in the league during the first half of the season to one of the top performers in the latter half.
Now, just five games into his second full season as coach, it seems Roy might need to reevaluate either his tactics or how his players are following them.
Despite securing back-to-back wins before a brief homestand that starts Tuesday with the Sharks visiting UBS Arena, the Islanders are still missing key chances. Heading into Sunday’s matchup, they were ranked 26th in shots allowed per 60 minutes at even strength and dead last in expected goals per 60 minutes, as reported by Evolving Hockey. According to Natural Stat Trick, which assesses chances based on danger levels, the Islanders stood at 30th for high-danger chances allowed per 60 minutes at even strength.
The situation is compounded by goaltending issues as well, with Ilya Sorokin exhibiting vulnerabilities in each of his four starts.
But it’s not just about the goaltender or the defense alone. In Saturday’s narrow 5-4 win over the Senators, Sorokin faced a weak shot from David Perron in the first period while the defense struggled, often caught out of position. This led to issues with forwards not back-checking effectively, leading to adverse rush opportunities for the opposition.
“There were definitely moments, especially at the end of the second, where I made mistakes,” said Jonathan Drouin. “We need to look at a few things, maybe be a bit more mature and better judge the puck.”
Coaches have allowed defenses more freedom this season, and the Islanders are better equipped than ever with players like Tony DeAngelo and Matthew Schaefer keen to join the attack. Adam Boqvist, who filled in for Alexander Romanov due to an upper-body injury, fits this mold as well.
According to Natural Stat Trick, the pairing of DeAngelo and Boqvist faced challenges, losing 14-3 on Saturday, while DeAngelo and Romanov struggled too. This could suggest that the Islanders are having trouble balancing their newfound offensive freedom with their defensive responsibilities.
If forwards continue to back-check as they did Saturday—essentially not at all—there’s little chance of resolving the issues at hand.
Captain Anders Lee remarked, “I’m sure we’ll figure things out next time we meet. We needed to play clean hockey. We were frequently putting the puck in and getting it back, so we really should have gotten back quicker.”
Lee, who has been with the Islanders long enough, recalls not only Roy’s arrival but also when Barry Trotz turned the franchise into a contender by maximizing their defensive strengths.
This current Islanders team boasts more offensive talent compared to Trotz’s squad, and even the one from the 2023-24 season. Yet, like before, the Islanders can’t hope to win games just by outscoring opponents.
They managed to secure a 5-4 victory and left Ottawa with two points, but there’s a shared understanding that this approach isn’t sustainable.
“I think both sides can go back and reassess things,” Lee explained. “It was just one of those games where we were trading chances. You don’t want that to be the norm.”
