Islanders Mailbag: John MacLean's Power Play, Glove-Dropping Deficiency?
It's rather likely that John MacLean is back coaching the New York Islanders power play, which has a lot to prove in 2023-24. Do the Islanders have a fighting deficiency? All that and more in our latest New York Islanders mailbag.
It's rather likely that John MacLean is back coaching the New York Islanders power play, which has a lot to prove in 2023-24. Do the Islanders have a fighting deficiency?
All that and more in our latest New York Islanders mailbag.
I'm not understanding why John MacLean is still the power play coach after last season's awful performance. Is the team keeping him for next season, and if so, why? I strongly feel the power play needs a new voice and approach. (@SmithsNYI)
When we spoke with Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello in Nashville, he still hadn't stated that all the coaches were back.
With this much time passing and jobs being filled, it's unlikely that John MacLean isn't the power play coach this season.
It is a tad shocking, as the Islanders power play was the third-worst in the NHL at 15.8 percent and came through at a 5.6 percent clip in the playoffs.
There's an understanding that the power play zone entry was one-dimensional, with Mathew Barzal bringing the puck over the opponent's blue line or making a quick pass to enter.
But, for the Islanders to force Noah Dobson to be the zone-entry guy and sticking with him in that role for 30 games to close out the season, despite the numerous failures, was a head-scratcher.
That's on top of Dobson's power-play struggles once already positioned in the opponent's end.
Again, MacLean's job is to get the power play working, and, for lack of a better word, he failed. That's not to say that the players didn't fail him -- because they certainly are to blame -- but we have seen coaches fired for less.
If MacLean is back, he gets a healthy Mathew Barzal, a full year of Bo Horvat, and possibly a confident Dobson.
Let's be honest. The power play can't be any worse.
But if MacLean can't get the power play going at a respectable rate or at least show signs that it is trending in the right direction, the Islanders are in trouble no matter how strong their defense plays.
Can you explain why there was such a massive drop in toughness and fights this past year? Johnston 3, Martin 7… I don't count Casey or Wahlstrom as tough guys… it seemed like they were on a leash, especially Johnston. Is it just me? (@dsigs83363320)
In 2021-22, the Islanders fought 24 times. This past season, the Islanders only fought 17 times. But I don't think we saw a massive drop-off in toughness.
Before we dive into the numbers, there's no question that the Islanders failed to stick up for teammates enough, especially with the injuries that came after questionable hits. That's not to say they don't have each other's backs because this group is incredibly close, but for whatever reason, there was little to no retaliation.
To the numbers...
In 2022-23, Matt Martin fought seven times, which was one more than his fight total (6) in 2021-22. Ross Johnston fought three times this past season, one more than the year prior.
The top two fighters on the roster improved their fighting numbers, as illustrated above. So, what changed?
Despite being 44 and then 45, Zdeno Chara dropped the glove five times during the 2021-22 season before hanging up the skates that summer.
You always have a few other players who get into scraps, classified as fights, but Chara was the key "fighter" missing for New York.
We know enforcers are a dying breed, and with the retaliation penalty in place, that likely limits players' willingness to jump in. But the league fighting numbers this past season weren't too far off from the previous year.
There were 333 fights in the NHL in 2022-23, compared to 330 in 2021-22. That's not a substantial drop-off by any means.
Fighting statistics are courtesy of HockeyFights.com.
Which Islanders player is getting the most goals next season? (@Barzysgf)
The New York Islanders would love to see Horvat, who they are paying $8.5 million annually over the next eight years to lead this team in goals, it's hard to bet against Brock Nelson.
Despite being on the other side of 30, there's no question that Nelson is in his prime right now after scoring 36 goals last season after 37 the year before.
Of his 36 goals last season, 28 came before Pierre Engvall made his way onto Nelson's line. Of those 28 goals, 23 came at 5-on-5 with jumbled linemates, as Kyle Palmieri was on the shelf for quite some time.
If the Engvall-Nelson-Palmieri line gets off to a hot start, we could see Nelson score 40 for the first time in his career. That is, if everyone stays healthy, including Brock.
Other Islanders Mailbags From This Week:
Monday: Prospect Pool & Oliver Wahlstrom
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