The injury bug has bitten the New York Islanders and bitten them badly. At first, it was Anthony Duclair who was placed on the long-term injury list with a lower-body injury. That happened a few weeks back. Now, it’s Mathew Barzal, Adam Pelech, Alexander Romanov, and Mike Reilly all on the injured list.
Related: Islanders Lose 5-2 to Rangers Despite Encouraging Performance
The absence of both stars and depth skaters showed in their Nov. 3 loss to the New York Rangers. They looked like a lesser team in their 5-2 defeat. The only bright spot in the game was the Islanders’ effort in the second period where they scored twice to cut the deficit to one.
One of their two goals came from the top line which in recent games is the one led by Brock Nelson. The line proved it could step up in the absence of other key skaters and make the offense look good.
Palmieri-Nelson-Tsyplakov Is the New Top Line
Nelson found the back of the net on Sunday with Kyle Palmieri distributing the primary assist and they’ve led the Islanders’ best scoring line all season. The trio of Nelson, Palmieri, and Maxim Tsyplakov has scored 12 goals and 11 assists to help make an offense that has otherwise struggled look respectable, at least in a few games.
Moreover, the three skaters feed off of each other’s skills. Nelson is the playmaker and scorer who makes everyone on the ice better. Palmieri is the shooter on the wing who has a team-leading nine points through 12 games. Then there’s Tsyplakov who at 26 years old is the young gun of the group and with five assists, is the primary playmaker on the other wing.
The Islanders only average 2.25 goals per game but this trio will help turn the offense around. They fueled the 4-3 Nov. 1 win over the Buffalo Sabres with Tsyplakov scoring a goal and an assist while Palmieri added a goal as well and they will steal a few games for the Islanders down the stretch.
It Will Only Take the Islanders so Far
The problem is that while this line is good, it isn’t a dominant trio. Nelson, Palmieri, and Tsyplakov won’t take over games and won’t win high-scoring games either. It’s a great second line that can make an impact but compared to the rest of the league, it’s an inferior top line.
Yes, they can score a goal or two in a game to make a lot of matchups close. However, with the rest of the offense struggling, they won’t lead the Islanders to victories. The offense looks bad with only seven goals in the last three games and even with this line’s best efforts, it will still look that way.
Nelson has proven he is a top-line center who often centers the second line with both Bo Horvat and Barzal in the lineup. Palmieri is a reliable top-six skater and Tsyplakov is showing he can eventually be an elite winger at the NHL level. Together they make a great second line but without much else in the forward unit, the offense looks hapless. It’s why the Islanders must win low-scoring games moving forward with great goaltending leading the way.
Ultimately, Islanders Need Their Stars Back
The Islanders will continue to struggle on offense until Barzal returns. He’s dealing with an upper-body injury and will miss four to six weeks but when he returns, so will the offense. He’s the playmaker who makes everything click as he allows the other skaters on his line to find open shots in the offensive zone.
Then there’s Duclair’s return which can take the offense to the next level. He’s the scorer on the wing who made the top line great early on in the season. He’s out for the long run and will probably be in the lineup around the trade deadline but having him back will have the top line and offense as a whole humming.
With the Nelson line thriving, there’s a world where the Islanders have a remarkable top six. The problem is that it will be late in the season when this happens. Until then, they must tread water and win low-scoring games. They stole a game against the Sabres and must have more surprise victories in the coming weeks.
The next three games are against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Ottawa Senators, and New Jersey Devils. The Islanders must earn a few points in this stretch to keep them within striking distance of a playoff spot.
