If there’s any team that needs a break in the NHL at the moment, it’s the New York Islanders. They’ve powered through injuries to remain in the hunt for a playoff spot and the 4 Nations Face-Off will give them a few weeks to get some skaters back. Last week, things looked like they couldn’t get worse on the injury front and then Mathew Barzal goes down and is placed on injured reserve.
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The Barzal injury is a tough blow as he won’t be part of the Islanders’ regular season plans. With the Islanders only a few points out of a wild card spot, the question is what happens next. This team must pivot one way or another and the second half of the season will see this team playing a different brand of hockey because of it.
Islanders Can Still Make the Playoffs, With Defense
When the Islanders lost Barzal in the second half of the 2022-23 season, they were in a similar spot to the one they are now. They were on the outside of the playoffs looking in and needed to get on a run to sneak in. The Islanders got on a run and managed to make the playoffs on the back of great defense and remarkable goaltending from Ilya Sorokin.
The hot streak the Islanders are putting together is possible mostly because of the defense and great goaltending. They’ve allowed only 16 goals in the last nine games and their Feb. 4 win over the Vegas Golden Knights saw Sorokin make 33 saves to seal the victory.
Islanders general manager (GM) Lou Lamoriello is on a heater with his latest additions. The Anthony DeAngelo signing gave the team a defenseman who can play a top pair role while the Scott Perunovich and Adam Boqvist additions added depth to the unit. Suddenly, the defense is a strength.
The Islanders don’t have a defensive unit that’s expected to make a difference offensively but ironically, they’ve done just that. Adam Pelech has seven assists in the last nine games while the defense added three assists in the latest 2-1 win. Even when the production at the point declines, the strong play on the defensive end won’t and it gives the Islanders an edge for how they can take over games.
Lamoriello Must Do More Than Turn to Waivers
Lamoriello’s made a handful of big moves to fix the defense and each one has been a strong depth addition. That said, he must do more if the…
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