Islanders head coach Patrick Roy went with his gut when changes the Islanders lines. Trusting his gut has paid off.
ELMONT, NY -- Twelve games into his tenure as head coach of the New York Islanders, Patrick Roy had seen progression.
But the results weren't coming like he hoped, with a 5-4-3 record and little to no ground made up in the playoff race.
So, Roy decided to make changes to his lineup, citing that he waited a bit because he needed to earn their trust.
"I had to get to know them," Roy said. "Getting to know them was the most important thing. That's the first thing Lou [Lamoriello] said to me. "He said, 'Go with your gut and get to know the guys and give them the chance...not go with perception but feel' and right now I'm very pleased."
Well, the gut move has worked for Roy.
Since making these changes, the Islanders have won three in a row, knocking off the elite Dallas Stars, the red-hot Detroit Red Wings, and most recently, the dominant Boston Bruins, with a dominating 5-1 victory.
On this win streak, the Islanders have outscored their opponents 13-6, with their 13 goals being the third most in the NHL over the last three games.
We've seen 14 different players record points, and 12 players record two or more, with eight different goal scorers.
Brock Nelson and Kyle Palmieri, who are no longer on the same line, each have three goals, two at even strength.
Top-line winger Mathew Barzal, who has a goal, also has three assists to lead the pack, with third-line winger Simon Holmstrom earning two assists, along with forwards Bo Horvat, and Jean-Gabriel Pageau, with defensemen Noah Dobson, Ryan Pulock also adding two.
All but one player, Sebastian Aho, has registered a shot on goal through three games, with Horvat leading the way with 11 shots.
At 5-on-5, the Islanders have outscored their opponents 10-5, eight of the goals from the forwards:
Line 1: Three goals, one assist
Line 2: Three goals, three assists
Line 3: One goal, one assist
Line 4: One goal
Let's dive a bit further, courtesy of NaturalStatrick.com.
* When Horvat's line has been on the ice, the Islanders outscored their opponents 3-1.
* When Pageau's line has been on the ice, they've outscored their opponents 3-2.
* When Cizikas's line has been on the ice, they've outscored their opponents 2-1
*When MacLean's line has been on the ice, they haven't scored (MacLean's goal was a mixed shift) but have outshot their opponents 6-5 and haven't given up a goal
"There's one thing I've learned. We don't take anything for granted," Roy said. "I mean the chemistry that all those lines have...The four lines are playing well. The defense are playing well. The goalie makes a good save at the right time.
"So, I just feel like, like right now, we have something good going on. The guys look sharp. They feel good. They look alive out there."
The biggest standout as of late, particularly in Saturday's game, was the speed at which the forwards played.
"I think it's confidence right now," Roy said. "And the fact that they're playing free. They don't think. It's hard to put it all in the same sentence. The Structure. mindset, fundamentals, it's hard [to get right]. It takes time.
"And I think that's what we did. We built around this, and I mean, sometimes, you want a great start when a coach comes in and puts a bandaid on it, but it's not how it works. It's to play the right way. And I think right now we're playing the right way. We play north. We don't play east-west. We're moving pucks up, and when you move the puck, it's a lot faster than then if you try to skate with it."
The Islanders have two more games before the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline.
They are currently trailing the third-place Philadelphia Flyers by five points with two games in hand, the second-wild-card Tampa Bay Lightning by six points with three games in hand, and the top wild-card Detroit Red Wings by six points with one game in hand.