This is a statement week for the New York Islanders.
This is a statement week for the New York Islanders.
This is a statement week for the New York Islanders.
After a 2-0-1 week and points in each of the last six games, the blue and orange are back in the thick of things.
But the schedule toughens this week, starting with a game against the speedy New Jersey Devils on Tuesday night before a matchup with the suffocating defense that is the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday, ending the trip against the gritty Florida Panthers on Satuday evening.
That's three games against three teams that made the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
"It's three really good teams," Islanders defenseman Noah Dobson said. "I think, just focus on Jersey. Obviously, we played them this year. We know the challenges they bring. They got some high-end pieces and a lot of speed. They get on you quick.
"They're all big games. Two divisional games, an Eastern Conference team in Florida, one of the top teams, so it's gonna be a great week for us. Get off to a good start tomorrow and try to put together a really solid week, get some mojo and confidence going, and try to build on it."
The Islanders have not faired well against last year's Cup qualifiers, posting a 0-4-3 record so far.
Their power play in those seven games has been solid, going 5-for-21 on the power play (23.8%). The killer has been the penalty kill, with the shorthanded units having little success, going 11-for-24 (45.83%).
Lane Lambert's squad has been outscored 33-18, with Ilya Sorokin making five of those starts.
Here's who has potted goals in those seven games: Brock Nelson (3), Simon Holmstrom (3), Noah Dobson (3), Mathew Barzal (2), Bo Horvat (2), Anders Lee (2), Cal Clutterbuck (1), Casey Cizkas (1), and Oliver Wahlstrom (1).
The positive: The Islanders have been in every one of those games.
The Islanders went goal for goal with the Devils in their third game of the season, tying the score late at 4-4 before falling in overtime. The Islanders didn't allow a five-on-five goal in that game, with the penalty kill allowing four goals on five chances.
Against the Colorado Avalanche two games later, the Islanders seemed to be entering the third with a 3-2 lead, but a failure to close out the period allowed Colorado to deposit two goals in 13 seconds, and that was that in a 7-4 loss (two empty-netters.)
The loss to the Hurricanes on Nov. 4 may have been their worst loss of the season, as the Islanders blew a 3-0 lead before falling 4-3 in overtime.
Their 4-2 loss to the Minnesota Wild on Nov. 7 was a tight game, but the Islanders did have a 2-1 lead in the second period, allowing the tying goal just a few minutes later.
After a dramatic shorthanded goal by New York to tie the game at 2-2 early in the third, the Boston Bruins used that same power-play chance to retake the lead 43 seconds later and pile on in what became a 5-2 loss (one empty-net goal) on Nov, 9.
A hot start against the Edmonton Oilers cooled off mighty quickly in a 4-1 loss to kick off their Western road trip, allowing two power-play goals.
Discipline read its ugly head in their 5-4 shootout loss to Seattle, allowing three power-play goals.
Seven games. Seven losses.
That's why this week is a statement week for New York.
Beating the weaker teams in the league is something New York has done this season, which was a critical issue in why the Islanders needed 82 games to make the postseason a year ago.
But to make the playoffs, beating the weaker teams isn't enough. Playoff hopefuls have to beat the teams above them.
To do that, the Islanders need their top players to come through at a higher rate, which they haven't enough in these bigger games.
Fortunately for the Islanders, the Devils' are struggling, with injuries playing a vital role. Lindy Ruff's club is 3-7-0 in their last 10 games.
The Islanders aren't so healthy themselves without Adam Pelech (LTIR) and Sebastian Aho (IR), leaving a shaky structure even shakier.
Regardless of how they are playing, the Devils will always have speed and a player named Jack Hughes. Again, the Islanders went toe-to-toe with them earlier in the season, and with the Devils allowing a ton of odd-man rushes as of late, the Islanders need to bear down and find the back of the net, which has been an issue on those odd-man opportunities.
Given how Vitek Vanecek and Akira Schmid have struggled, shooting the puck from everywhere may be part of the game plan.
The Hurricanes are 6-4-0 in their last 10 games and occupy second place in the Metropolitan Division. The Islanders know what this team is all about, having just battled against them for six games this past April.
With Andrei Svechnikov getting back into the swing of things and the other Sebastian Aho always ready to find open ice, the Islanders must communicate in the defensive zone and keep moving their skates because puck-watching equals dishing pucks out of the net.
"We played them so much over the last little bit. I wasn't here, but they played them in that series, too (2019). And last year was a pretty hard-fought series," Dobson said. "So we're definitely familiar with each other. Anytime you play a team in a playoff series, you kind of build-up that hate, and they kind of tend to carry over at times, so it's gonna be a good test.
"It's always a tough game in there. So, we'll be ready to go for that one."
The Panthers are rolling, with a 7-3-0 record over their last 10 games, and are facing the Islanders for the first time this season.
Last year, the Islanders went 2-1-0 against the Cats, but their grittiness shined in the postseason, and New York will have their hand full all game with Matthew Tkachuk. If the Islanders can stay disciplined against the grittiness, maybe they get a few more power-play opportunities.
But there's one thing the Islanders need to do against the good teams: play a full sixty minutes, which they have yet to do.
That includes forechecking consistently.
Against the Devils, an effective forecheck forces them to use more than speed to get up the ice, which gets them away from their great strength.
With the Hurricanes as poised and structured as can be, the forecheck makes it much more challenging to stay in that structure. Cause Chaos, as the Hurricanes Twitter hashtag reads.
Florida's defense has been a weakness, so forechecking makes an already shaky defense even shakier. That will undoubtedly lead to defensive zone turnovers and more opportunities for high-danger chances.
Making a statement isn't made after a three-game test. It's made the day after the regular season ends when more games are to be played.
But if the Islanders want to give themselves a realistic chance of being on the right side after 82 games, beating good teams isn't a want.
It's a need.
You can listen to Rosner talk Islanders hockey on Hockey Night in New York with co-host Sean Cuthbert on Sunday nights at 8 PM ET during the season.