The New York Islanders have an uncanny way of making their fans sweat and sit on the edge of their seats at the end of games. They held the lead in the third period, and for the first time in a long time, they finished the game strong and secured a 4-3 victory over the Florida Panthers. The Islanders have blown multiple leads in the third period throughout the season, but against the Panthers, the team finally played a sound final 20 minutes to end up winning.
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The win gives the Islanders two in a row, and suddenly, they’ve gotten hot at the right time. They start the new month, often the dog days of the hockey season, with a 10-7-6 record and nestled in fourth place in the Metropolitan Division. Despite all the early-season struggles and tough defeats, this team remains in the middle of the standings and is ready to leapfrog a few teams, notably with how they’ve been playing in recent games.
Sorokin’s Strong Start
The underlying concern with the Islanders throughout the season has been the play of their goaltender Ilya Sorokin. He hasn’t had an awful season in the net but hasn’t looked like the dominant goaltender that willed the team to the playoffs a season ago. Specifically, he’s had three starts where he’s allowed five goals or more including his Nov. 28 performance against the New Jersey Devils where he allowed three in the third period, resulting in the 5-4 defeat.
Against the Panthers, he carried the Islanders to a victory. He faced a surplus of shots from the opening puck drop and the Panthers applied pressure throughout the night, but he stepped up and notably shut the door with 17 saves in the third period.
While Sorokin allowed three goals including one in the third period that looked like it would start the Panthers comeback, he was the Islanders’ best player in the game. His 43-save performance stood out and looks like the type of game that can turn his season around.
Depth Scoring
The Islanders have received plenty of offense from their top-six forwards but there’s been a significant dropoff afterwards. It’s what made the four-goal game against the Panthers a pleasant surprise with two skaters in the later two lines finding the back of the net to make a difference.
After a rough rookie season, Simon Holmstrom has found a role in the offense. While he’s made the most significant impact on the penalty kill with three shorthanded goals, he’s found his touch as a scorer, finding the back of the net seven times in 22 games played. He has yet to record an assist this season, but his scoring instincts are starting to stand out and against the Panthers, a rebound allowed him to net the Islanders’ third goal of the game.
Holmstrom has been finding the back of the net all season but Julien Gauthier, who has been a checking fourth-line forward, finally scored his first goal of the season. He found an open shot off a crucial faceoff win and fired the puck to the top shelf to score the Islanders’ fourth goal that proved to be the game-winner. In the past two games, the Islanders have started to see the depth skaters step up and find the back of the net, and it’s made a difference with their offense taking off. They scored four goals against the Devils, then five against the Carolina Hurricanes in the overtime victory on Nov. 30, and four in their recent win.
Horvat & Nelson Step Up in Barzal’s Absence
Mathew Barzal was out of the lineup as he was dealing with an illness. The offense looked poised to take a step back, especially considering the impact Barzal had in the previous game and all season. He’s scored seven goals and 16 assists and against the Hurricanes his three assists and game-winning goal fueled the Islanders’ victory.
The offense was without its best playmaker, but the top-six centers stepped up and led the way. Bo Horvat assisted two of the Islanders’ goals including the third-period one, which involved him winning an offensive zone faceoff and setting up Gauthier for a quick shot on the net. Brock Nelson leads the team with 10 goals but also set up the offense with two assists in the game.
Oddly enough, the Islanders have a top-heavy offense this season. Barzal, Horvat, and Nelson have scored 24 goals and 33 assists, but the production drops significantly after that. With Barzal out, Horvat and Nelson needed to take on the facilitating role, and the two skaters delivered.
Islanders Crowd the Net for Goals
Whether the Islanders worked in practice on it or head coach Lane Lambert emphasized it entering the game, it was clear the skaters were going to crowd the net and search for goals in this game. Anders Lee is known for finding goals near the net and in the slot, making his goal in the first period, which came on a deflection, not surprising in the slightest. Two of the Islanders’ next three goals came similarly.
Pierre Engvall entered the game with only two goals and has made his mark as a passer this season with nine assists. In the second period, he skated to the net and found a second-chance shot to score his third goal of the season. Holmstrom darted to the net on an odd-man rush that Horvat started, and with Panthers’ goaltender Anthony Stolarz out of position, he easily found the net off a juicy rebound.
The Islanders fired only 27 shots on the net, half of which came in the second period. However, when they got the puck on the goal, the skaters were there to collect the rebounds. Finishing scoring chances near the net is a skill the Islanders have struggled with in recent seasons, but the offense will turn a corner if more skaters continue to crowd the net and take advantage of loose pucks.
Islanders’ Defense Remains a Weakness
If there’s one negative from the victory, it was the play from the defensive unit. They once again struggled and nearly allowed the Panthers to complete the comeback, allowing them to find plenty of scoring chances throughout the game. Sorokin bailed them out in the 4-3 victory, but plenty of blown assignments and misplayed pucks almost changed the outcome.
The Islanders defensive unit has been a weak link this season, especially with Adam Pelech and Sebastian Aho both sidelined to injuries. Noah Dobson is having a breakout season, and Alexander Romanov has played some remarkable games, but the later pairings are where the unit has struggled.
Mike Reilly, who was brought in earlier in the season to round out the unit, plays a reduced role, and Simon Holmstrom, who was expected to take a big step forward, has struggled in the defensive zone. The defensive woes have forced the Islanders to win high-scoring games and, more importantly, have made no lead safe until time expires.
Other Takeaways From the Islanders Win
- The penalty kill has been a weakness all season, allowing opponents to score 71.83 percent of opportunities. The unit stepped up against the Panthers with two strong kills that allowed the Islanders to maintain momentum throughout the game.
- Scott Mayfield is having a rocky season as he’s struggled at times and dealt with injuries, a concerning sign since he signed a seven-year deal this offseason. However, he put together a strong game against the Panthers with five blocked shots, leading all defensemen.
What’s Next for the Islanders?
The Islanders head back to UBS Arena to face the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday, Dec. 5, to start a six-game homestand. The Sharks have one of the worst records in the NHL at 6-16-2, and the Islanders have a chance to not only extend the winning streak to three games but also make significant strides in the standings.
The past month was a rough one for the Islanders, arguably their worst under general manager (GM) Lou Lamoriello. However, they’ve turned a corner and look like a much-improved team, especially on the offensive end of the ice, where they’ve scored 13 goals in the last three games. The Islanders are far from the team to beat in the Eastern Conference, but they’ve been playing great hockey recently, and it looks like they can beat any opponent on their schedule. The Panthers have the second-best record in the Atlantic Division, yet they never controlled the recent game and ended up on the losing end against a team with the pieces to make a run.
