Islanders' Defensive Structure Dominant Once Again

As the New York Islanders gear up for a potential postseason berth, their defensive structure is becoming dominant once again.

The New York Islanders have been a structured team since now-head coach Lane Lambert came over with Barry Trotz back in 2018.

That structure had its flaws a season ago, and it was a concern too often this season. 

But lately, especially over the last handful of victories, that structure has been a real strength. 

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In Monday's 5-1 win over the New Jersey Devils, the Islanders slowed their speedy opponents down early and often, thanks to strong forechecking out of the gate.

Smart steps in the neutral zone to pick off Devil passes and a physical presence gave the Devils a bit of trouble. 

In the first period, the Islanders allowed just nine shots on goal, with only eight coming on netminder Ilya Sorokin in the second.

The third period was a bit troublesome as the Devils pushed down 2-1, but the Islanders took advantage of an early opportunity, thanks to a Kyle Palmieri snipe off strong forechecking less than five minutes into the period, taking a 3-1 lead.

The Devils did have a handful of high-danger chances, with 10 in the game, but Sorokin was sharp, stopping all of them.

The Islanders also did a strong job of finishing their hits, throwing the body around 24 times, forcing the Devils to keep their head up. 

"We try and find ways to make sure we have good gaps, and we're doing our best to set ourselves up to when they do dump it in or carry it in. We're putting ourselves in a position to break the puck out quickly," Kyle Palmieri said following the win.

The Hockey News caught up with a few players following their morning skate in Washington, D.C. back on Wednesday to find out what's changed with their structure.

"It's communication. It's guys committing to the structure and being on the same page," Islanders captain Anders Lee told The Hockey News. "And our execution has been good on top of it. You can be in the right positions, but if you don't execute it, it doesn't really matter. So our positioning is better, and I would say our ability to shut things down quicker has been very effective in the defensive zone.

"You're gonna have shifts where you're hemmed in, but I think they're few and far between."

Structure has been the Islanders' bread and butter since 2018, and they know that it needs to be strong if they are going to continue to win in the regular season, and it becomes essential in postseason play. 

"When we stay structured, we tend to have success," Lee said. "So sticking with the process and putting ourselves in good positions to win, and taking care of business the rest of the way, it's kind of a lot of our focus.'

Islanders forward Matt Martin said there's another area of their game that's led to success. 

"Communication is one, and probably discipline is another one," Matt Martin told THN. "Guys know, understand their assignments, and are sticking to that, not necessarily always going off of their own reads, anticipating a play to pull them out of position.

"So, yeah, like discipline and patience, I guess. And obviously, this time of the year, you need to play the right way to win, and we've been doing a pretty good job of that lately."

Lambert admitted that they made some changes to the structure but would not get into details.

"We've made a couple of little adjustments. It's a very similar structure, and (our) structure has always been pretty good," Lambert said. "But we've made some adjustments, and I won't get into them, but we've had some decent success with them."

The Islanders' defensive structure was on display again later that night in a 2-1 shootout win over the Washington Capitals. 

Lambert's club mimicked their Devils' game plan but were even tighter, allowing just seven shots in the first period, 10 in the second, and allowed practically nothing in the third.

The Capitals did not register their first shot of the third period until the clock read 8:17. 

Alex Ovechkin was held to just one shot, which tells you all you need to know about how the Islanders shadowed him, shutting him down. 

On Monday, the Islanders outhit the Devils 24-13. On Wednesday, they were outhit by the Capitals 27-24.

Physicality is an integral part of their system. 

"We want to be physical. That's a key part of our game," Kyle Palmieri said. "It's part of the way our team is built, and we got some big guys that get on the forecheck and make an impact, and even on the back end, we have some guys that are able to clear the net and make it harder on other teams."

Although the Islanders showing against the Columbus Blue Jackets was poor, that structure was displayed against the Buffalo Sabres in their 2-0 loss (ENG). 

Two games earlier, the Islanders dominated the Toronto Maple Leafs 7-2, allowing just eight shots in the first, nine shots in the second, and 10 in the third.

It's no coincidence that the Islanders' structure has looked exponentially better since the return of Adam Pelech to the lineup back on Jan. 23.

Since then, 28 games, the Islanders have played to a 16-8-4 record, allowing the third-fewest goals per game at 2.46. They've blocked the fifth most shots per 60, at 15.81. 

In third periods over that span, the Islanders have allowed 16 goals, the fewest allowed in the NHL. 

"I just think that we've gotten better, right?" Adam Pelech said following Wednesday's win. "It's definitely been an emphasis for us. So the structure in the defensive zone has gotten better. We've been quicker to close, and we've had a lot of dedication from guys blocking shots, and always the biggest thing is big saves from our goalies."

What's also helped has been the evolution of first-year Islanders Alexander Romanov. 

Since the All-Star break, Romanov has been a different defender, as he's made more decisive decisions, whether it be getting the puck out of the defensive zone or timing his steps.

"I think he's evolved," Lambert said. "There's certain areas and aspects of how he plays the position and how we want him to play the position, and it's taken him a little while at times to totally comprehend that. 

"I think he's done a really good job. I think Ryan Pulock has helped him a lot with communication."

The Hockey News spoke with Alexander Romanov back in California.

“I think I’ve improved my game, and it’s getting better because I work on my game,” Romanov said. “I practice hard and practice every day and never stop doing that.

“So just again, I try to practice my offensive skills, and the shot vision, some stuff like that, and I just practice it and improve it.”

The practice has paid off, and it's made New York that much more dynamic. 

Now defensive structure is not just about the defenseman. 

Bo Horvat has brought a defensive element, usually seen deep in the Islanders zone, winning puck battles. Kyle Palmieri also has shown off his defensive prowess.

Simon Holmstrom and Hudson Fasching have been key adds on the defensive side of the puck to help complement the likes of Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Zach Parise and the fourth line. 

The Islanders have a tough weekend ahead of them, with a back-to-back against the Tampa Bay Lightning and Carolina Hurricanes as they look to solidify a playoff spot with six games to go.

Their structure will have to be as strong as it's been, if not better to snag a few points this weekend.