The Islanders started their three-game road trip on the right foot. The Chicago Blackhawks gave them a hard-fought, defense-heavy game where goals were a rarity compared to the last two games for the team. After the Islanders won back-to-back games with a 6-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes and a 5-4 comeback win over the Colorado Avalanche, they defeated the Blackhawks 3-1, moving to 6-4 on the season.
Related: 5 Takeaways From Islanders’ 5-4 Win Versus Avalanche – 10/29/22
The Blackhawks were an opponent that could have easily tripped up the Islanders as a rebuilding, younger team that will play hard, especially early on in the season. The Islanders, however, controlled the play and ultimately came away with their fourth win in a row.
Cizikas’ Game Misconduct Effects Entire Game
A few minutes into the first period, Casey Cizikas crashed into the net and ended up colliding with the Blackhawks’ goaltender Alex Stalock. The immediate aftermath of the play was a game misconduct for Cizikas and a five-minute major, but the penalty ended up impacting the entire game.
The Blackhawks had to play the rest of the game with their backup goaltender Arvid Soderblom, who wasn’t on the opening night roster and had only started three games in his career. The Islanders meanwhile had to play the game with a shorter bench and without Cizikas, a valuable center who helps give the team a balanced forward unit. Furthermore, while the penalty wasn’t a malicious one per se, the Blackhawks saw it that way and the subsequent minutes were filled with hard hits and multiple penalties.
The Cizikas game misconduct also sent a message to the Islanders that this game would be an unusual one. The Islanders won the previous three games by setting the tone early and slowly taking away the energy from their opponents. However, this game required each player to take on a larger role and more ice time, leading to a more fatigued roster, especially by the end of the game. For a team to be great, they have to win in a multitude of ways and they have to adapt to the abnormal games, something this team proved capable of against the Blackhawks.
Nelson’s Big Night
Late in the first period, the Islanders received their first big opportunity to find the back of the net with a power play. The power play unit has struggled this season, scoring only three goals entering the game but they stepped up against the Blackhawks to end the period on a high note. Kyle Palmieri shot the puck through traffic and Brock Nelson collected the rebound to quickly send the puck to the goal and past Soderblom, who was out of position, allowing Anders Lee to find the easy goal.
Nelson failed to score in the first seven games of the season but is suddenly one of the best goal-scorers on the roster. In the third period, the Islanders created a turnover to set up Nelson with a quick rush on the net, and with a shot past Soderblom’s glove, he scored his fourth goal in three games. His goal became the decisive one, giving the Islanders a 2-0 lead with just 12 minutes left in the game but it also capped off a remarkable night for the veteran center.
He was the only player on the ice that finished the game with two points but his performance went beyond the stats. Nelson had to take on a large role as one of the centers that replaced Cizikas in the game, playing both with his usual linemates and also often alongside Ross Johnston and Cal Clutterbuck. Ultimately, his 21:37 of ice time led not just the forwards but all the skaters on the team as he helped carry the Islanders to a 3-1 victory.
Islanders Defense Closes It Out
As the game progressed, it became one that was controlled by both defenses. The Islanders particularly stepped up in the defensive zone and limited the Blackhawks to only 22 shots in the game but also controlled the puck and pace of play altogether. Both teams were trying to win with speed and find quick scoring chances on the rush and the defensive performance notably displayed the depth of the Islanders unit.
Adam Pelech and Ryan Pulock stepped up and limited Patrick Kane and Max Domi from creating open shots or developing the Blackhawks’ offense. Likewise, Noah Dobson and Alexander Romanov, the young pair that has improved with each game together, removed skaters from the puck and subsequently started up the offense by carrying the puck out of the zone.
Ultimately, the game was one of the best defensive performances for the Islanders, especially from the blue line that allowed minimal scoring chances for the opposition.
Pageau & Parise Carry the Penalty Kill
The Islanders allowed their only goal of the game on the penalty kill, making it the second shorthanded goal allowed all season for the team. However, the recent game further proved why the penalty kill is one of the team’s strengths. The Islanders killed four other penalties including the five-minute major in the first period that left the Blackhawks empty-handed and flipped the momentum of the game.
The defense played a major role, but the penalty kill was carried by Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Zach Parise. The two forwards were on the ice for the majority of the Islanders’ short-handed minutes and kept the Blackhawks from generating shots on the net. Pageau and Parise were in the right position in the defensive zone and played the puck well but following a turnover was when they best impacted the unit. The two forwards often carried the puck past the blue line to run time off the clock or effectively cleared the puck down the ice to allow the Islanders to reset.
Fittingly, Parise rewarded his strong penalty-killing with a goal of his own to cap off the game. With the Blackhawks’ net empty, he chipped the puck out of the zone, as he had done throughout the penalty kill, and the puck managed to hit the empty net for the Islanders’ third goal in the win.
Other Takeaways From Islanders Win
- Ilya Sorokin put together a strong night, saving 21 of the 22 shots he faced. However, it wasn’t the best goaltending performance in the game. With Soderblom getting the surprise start, he kept the Blackhawks in the game, saving 28 of the 30 Islanders’ shots.
- Lee scored his fifth goal of the season with his first-period power-play goal. Along with being a point-per-game player with 10 points through 10 games, Lee leads the team in goals scored.
- The game saw two first-year head coaches meeting up for the first time this season, Lane Lambert for the Islanders and Luke Richardson for the Blackhawks. The style of play specifically reflected the vision of both coaches as the two teams played at a fast pace but continued to step up defensively, keeping the game low-scoring in the process.
What’s Next for the Islanders
The Islanders continue their road trip as they face a struggling St. Louis Blues team that has a 3-5 record and has lost their last five games. To cap off the road trip, the Islanders will then play the Detroit Red Wings who are 4-3-2 and looking to prove they can contend this season. Both the Blues and the Red Wings can be perceived as easy opponents but they are the type of teams that could catch them by surprise.
The upcoming games are the ones that the Islanders must take advantage of and continue to pile up the wins. With a four-game winning streak, the team continuing to earn points allows them to maintain a strong record in a competitive Metropolitan Division. Furthermore, it also helps the Islanders build a strong start to the season, something they must have if they hope to win the Stanley Cup this season.