Coach Lane Lambert's two major issues in the "Needs Improvement" department are the power play and quick-zone-breakout. Pivotal will be the High Command's fixer for each.

I'm Just Sayin'...

* New York Islanders Coach Lane Lambert's two major issues in the "Needs Improvement" department are the power play and quick-zone-breakout.

* Pivotal will be the High Command's fixer for each issue.

* For some reason the power play's flaws seemed more apparent this season than previously.

* One good reason for that was Mathew Barzal's long absence due to injury.

* I can recall that breaking out of their own zone was an Isles constant problem dating back to the thankfully bygone days at Barclay's.

* A more confident Noah Dobson may be the answer.

* A blueprint that Lambert, Barzal and Bo Horvat should come up with at training camp is whether Barzy belongs at center with his own line or on the wing with Bo at pivot.

* The answer likely will have to wait until the season gets well underway and the decision will come via trial and error.

* Easily the most baffling question that emerged from the last media scrum with Lou Lamoriello centered around the poor third period of the final playoff game against the Canes.

* It was as baffling to Lou as it was to anyone on the general staff.

* My guess is that the coaching staff believed that -- with a one-goal lead -- the club could go into a defensive shell, leaving Ilya Sorokin to hold the fort.

* Strictly a gut feeling and nothing more but I'm guessing that Semyon Varlamov will be ably backing Sorokin in 2023-24.

* If so, the club will be suitably solid in goal.

* Let's not forget that Sorokin's learning curve still is tilting upward.

* Lou's decision to return the Identity Line of Cizikas-Clutterbuck-Martin is predicated on the expectation that they'll provide energy every time they hit the ice.

* Also figure Cal and Casey to do some heavy penalty-killing.

* No worries needed regarding Josh Bailey's future. Lou will see to that.

* Now that Florida has been clobbered out of the Cup run, we should not forget how the dynamic Panthers came out of the blue to nail that last playoff berth.

* The Isles hairbreadth Wild Card finish gives meaning to the bromide that two points at the start of the season could be a difference-maker on the last night of the campaign.