The gap between the Carolina Hurricanes and the New York Islanders in the March 19 game was noticeable. It’s been that way for a while but the first period alone showed the difference between a middling team in the Eastern Conference with a low ceiling and a borderline Stanley Cup contender. The Hurricanes stomped the Islanders 4-1 in a game they never trailed and all but put out of reach in the first period.
Related: Hurricanes Take Low-Risk, High-Reward Gamble on Kuznetsov
The game was also a reminder that Patrick Roy, while a good coach, is not in the same tier as Rod Brind’Amour, one of the best coaches in the game. In a season where coaches have been fired left and right, Brind’Amour has remained behind the Hurricanes bench and is the fourth-longest tenured head coach in the NHL. Roy was hired halfway through the season to turn the Islanders around and he can look to the coach who just defeated him for guidance on how to turn his team into a perennial contender.
Brind’Amour Leads a Balanced Team
This season alone, the Hurricanes have been forced to pivot multiple times. They were an offensive juggernaut at the beginning of the season and recently have returned to the strong defensive team that has been a staple of their game in previous seasons. They can win in multiple ways whether it’s with offense or defense or by speeding a game up or slowing it down. More importantly, under Brind’Amour, the Hurricanes can win a certain way without compensating another strength.
The Islanders always have to sacrifice in some capacity and it’s something Roy is noticing in his first season behind the bench. He’s tried to slow the game down and win with defense but it comes at the cost of a hapless offense. Similarly, Roy will push the team to play aggressively and overpower teams with offense but it ends up leaving them liable on the defensive end, something they were under previous head coach Lane Lambert.
It takes a great roster to adapt and the Islanders don’t have one. That’s not Roy’s fault as general manager (GM) Lou Lamoriello not only kept the same roster intact but refused to make any changes, a problem on full display during the silent trade deadline. That said, the minor details on the ice are the difference in a well-coached team. Roy with time can close the gap on Brind’Amour by having the team learn how to pivot not just from game to game but within games.
Winning One Shift at a Time
In the matchups between the two teams, it’s hard to ignore the impact some depth skaters will have in the games, notably with the Hurricanes forwards making a significant impact in close games. In the first round, Paul Statsny, a center acquired for his defense and forechecking, scored three goals in the series including the Game 6 overtime winner.
The Hurricanes have the depth to make a difference in part because the skaters are coached to win one shift at a time. It’s a cliche in hockey that every team tries to win the shift, win the period, and win the game, but Brind’Amour, who played that way in his NHL career, has his team embody that. It’s why the Hurricanes always have skaters overachieving and playing better than expected. Under Roy, the Islanders still lack that depth.
The offense falls off a cliff after the top two lines but multiple skaters are simply underachieving as contributors. Roy is hoping to get the best out of them but has yet to do so. For him, it must be about having the skaters win the game one shift at a time, and until that happens, the Islanders will remain a step behind. The Hurricanes took a gamble when they acquired Evgeny Kuznetsov, a veteran who has declined in recent seasons, knowing he could be a contributor under Brind’Amour who would get the best out of him. Kuznetsov has two goals and three assists in his last four games.
Gap-Sound Play Paying Off
One thing Roy has brought to the Islanders that they lacked under Lambert was a tighter game. They don’t provide many scoring chances and open shots for the opposition and they focus more on possession and safely moving the puck out of the defensive zone. More importantly, they play a gap-sound style of defense that limits shots. Roy was brought in to fix the defense and for the most part, he’s been able to do that.
In the recent stretch, the defense has been a mess. The Islanders have allowed 17 goals in the last four games and in Roy’s defense have looked like a mess not just on the defensive end of the ice (they’ve only scored six goals in the last five games). However, since the coaching change, the Islanders have focused on controlling the puck and keeping it out of the high-danger areas and it’s helped the defense improve, albeit slightly.
Ironically, Roy Could See Brind’Amour in a First Round Rematch
For as bad as the Islanders have been lately, and with six losses in a row, they’ve been playing some of their worst hockey of the season, they still have a good chance to make the playoffs. The Detroit Red Wings have stumbled as of late and the Washington Capitals, while playing well, haven’t run away with a wild card spot either. The Islanders can put together a strong finish to the season and slide into the playoffs the way they did last season.
The Hurricanes meanwhile can end up as the top seed not just in the Metropolitan Division but the Eastern Conference. They’d have to leapfrog three teams to do so yet it wouldn’t surprise anyone if they did. They’ve won four games in a row and since acquiring Jake Guentzel from the Pittsburgh Penguins, they’ve looked unbeatable. If they end up with the best record in the conference, the stars can align for a rematch in the first round with the Islanders.
The matchup would be a great one and a chance for Roy to show he’s an elite coach. Brind’Amour without question will have the Hurricanes ready to play for a seven-game series against the Islanders and will adjust the roster to add a stronger forechecking and hard-hitting presence. For Roy, it would be about adapting as well by eliminating the speed and quick passes from the Hurricanes while also finding a way to generate effective shots on the net against a great defense. It wouldn’t be easy but Brind’Armour is the standard in the coaching world and a coach he can and should measure himself up against.
