It’s a tense time in the NHL season, notably for a lot of struggling teams. The Buffalo Sabres lost their 11th game in a row following a Dec. 17, 6-1 defeat to the Montreal Canadiens, the New York Rangers have lost 11 of their last 14 games, and the Columbus Blue Jackets are starting to unravel with five losses in a row. The New York Islanders are part of the group that is hanging in there as they are playing terrible hockey across the board.
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The Islanders are coming off a 4-0 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Dec. 17 and it’s noticeable how bad the offense is. They are averaging only 2.55 goals per game and have only scored nine goals in the last four games. A lot must change for the Islanders to turn their season around but improving the offense is a start and something they can do if they make a few adjustments.
The Barzal-Horvat-Duclair Reunion
For the first time since the first month of the season, the Islanders look like they will have their top line back. Mathew Barzal returned to the lineup this week and Anthony Duclair, who was brought in this offseason with high expectations, is expected to be in the lineup in the upcoming game. Both skaters played the wings for Bo Horvat when they were healthy and the expectation is they will do the same when Duclair is back.
In the recent game against the Hurricanes, Barzal and Horvat each centered their own lines. It didn’t work as the offense was shut out and it’s not something this team should consider moving forward. Barzal and Horvat must play on the same line as the duo feeds off each other’s skill sets. The two are the team’s best playmakers and shooters and they carried the offense last season with a combined 56 goals and 92 assists. They can carry the offense once again as the Islanders look to turn a corner on what appears like a lost season.
The Barzal and Horvat connection is great enough but throw Duclair onto it and the Islanders have something special brewing. Duclair has only played in five games this season but he proved to be a perfect part of the top line as he could find open skaters and take advantage of Barzal’s passing. The three skaters can get the offense back to a respectable point and allow the Islanders to look competitive in a lot of their games down the stretch.
Bring Tsyplakov Back to the Nelson Line
Maxim Tsyplakov is a young forward who is still learning the NHL game. Yes, he’s 26 but coming from the overseas game to the NHL is an adjustment and it’s shown as he must pivot from an east-west style of play to a north-south one. That said, the Islanders need him back on the Brock Nelson line. It’s not only going to help out Tsyplakov but more importantly, it will help Kyle Palmieri find his scoring touch again.
Palmieri has 11 goals and 13 assists this season but hasn’t scored in the last four games. He needs a playmaker on his line to allow him to find open looks on the wing and pick apart opposing goaltenders. Nelson provides him with plenty of great passes but Tsyplakov’s primary skill is his playmaking as he has 12 assists this season.
The Duclair return and Tsyplakov line change would mean other skaters would have to move out of the top six, notably Anders Lee and Jean-Gabriel Pageau. They’ve played on the top line with the Islanders battling injuries and Lee particularly has a strong argument to stay in the top six as he’s scored 13 goals and 12 assists to lead the team in points. The two skaters would move to the third line but head coach Patrick Roy must give them more ice time than a typical third line. If that happens, it will give the Islanders three reliable forward lines that can generate offense and that would be three more than they currently have.
Dobson & Pulock Must Generate More Shots
In the latest game against the Hurricanes, the two defensemen combined for only two shots on the goal. Noah Dobson and Ryan Pulock are the two scoring defensemen for the Islanders, contributing five goals and 24 assists and they must fuel the offense from the point. Part of that is generating more shots on the net.
Dobson’s stepped up at the point in recent games. He’s taken on a more aggressive role in the offensive zone and it’s allowed him to find the back of the net in the Dec. 12 game against the Chicago Blackhawks and the Dec. 15 game against the Blackhawks. Pulock meanwhile has the slapshot that can make a difference and it did in the Dec. 15 game when he scored in the first period. It’s something he must use more often to give the offense a slight but needed bump.
The offense stagnated in the offensive zone and the Islanders need that spark from the point. The hope is that Dobson, Pulock, and the rest of the defensive unit can provide it.
Finding a Stable Role For Engvall
It’s been an issue all season and has made the Pierre Engvall seven-year contract look like another miss by general manager (GM) Lou Lamoriello. The Islanders have only played 33 games and Engvall has been sent down to the American Hockey League (AHL), called up to the NHL, healthy scratched, and played throughout the lineup multiple times. It’s not good for anyone involved and hurts the offense the most.
Eventually, the Islanders must decide what to do with Engvall and stick with that decision. They waived Oliver Wahlstrom in the past week and might need to do the same with Engvall. They also might need to settle on a third-line role for him as he’s still talented enough to help out in a depth role. The bottom line is that anything is better than what the Islanders have done thus far.
Other Avenues to Improve Islanders’ Offense
Fixing the power play is a must for the Islanders. They are scoring on only 12.09 percent of their opportunities, the worst mark in the NHL, and they’ve looked like a lost group on the man advantage. Duclair’s return should help but this team needs more than that. They need puck handlers, an offensive zone presence, and an identity. Add up all the issues and the unit looks unfixable, but the Islanders can still turn things around.
The other big key to turning the offense around is the ice time. The fourth line isn’t expected to see much time and they shouldn’t as a group that isn’t contributing much to the offense. However, the Nelson line and Horvat line should see equal time and if Lee moves to the third line, Roy should have three balanced lines instead of a clear-cut top six.
The Islanders have been one of the worst teams this season on the offensive end of the ice. It’s why they have the second-worst record in the Metropolitan Division. That must change if this team is going to turn the season around and be a part of the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference.
