The New York Islanders didn't have a successful Western road trip, going 1-2-1, earning two out of a possible eight points. That makes collecting points on this two-game homestand paramount.
The New York Islanders didn't have a successful Western road trip, going 1-2-1, earning two out of a possible eight points. That makes collecting points on this two-game homestand paramount.
The New York Islanders didn't have a successful Western road trip, going 1-2-1, earning two out of a possible eight points.
After losing 3-1 to the Pittsburgh Penguins on New Year's Eve and then blowing two leads in their 5-4 overtime loss to the Colorado Avalanche to kick off 2024, the Islanders played their best game of the trip, dominating the third period in a 5-1 win over the Arizona Coyotes.
But after out-chancing the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena on Saturday night, defensive mistakes and a failure to capitalize led to a 5-2 loss.
"It's a tough road trip. We played some good teams," Islanders forward Mathew Barzal said. "We would have liked to have gotten tonight. Pittsburgh, we probably could have gotten that one.
"There are little stretches during the season where it doesn't go your way, and you just gotta bounce back. It's been a long road trip. So we're looking forward to getting home."
The Islanders have played a tad over .500 hockey on the road this season, with a record of 8-7-4 in 19 games, earning 20 of a possible 38 points.
Outside the first period -- outscoring opponents 21-14, the second and third periods on the road haven't been too kind to New York.
They've been outscored 23-19 in the middle frame and 24-18 in the third. The shot count is slightly lopsided, being outshot 475-385 in the second compared to 458-371 in the third.
It's not like the Islanders haven't had chances to convert, but players like Anders Lee, who has 52 road scoring chances, and Kyle Palmieri, who has 50, have combined for 10 road goals.
Those are two examples as every player can finish at a higher rate on the road to help the cause. What's really failed the Islanders on the road has been their defense, allowing the 10th-most goals (64) away from Elmont.
Home teams get the last change, and the Islanders haven't done a strong enough job counteracting that.
There's ways for the Islanders to still get the matchups they want, whether it's putting two centers out to garner possession and, if there's a need, making a line change immediately so that Lambert can have the players he wants out there after he sees the opponent's hand.
The other major issue, outside of the matchup disadvantage, is the long change.
It happened in Arizona, as the Islanders got smothered in the second period but survived due to the play of Ilya Sorokin.
We saw it again against the Vegas Golden Knights in the second period, where certain players got caught on the ice for elongated shifts, leading to goals against, as Sorokin wasn't as sharp, failing to bail his team out.
On Vegas' second goal, the defense pairing of Samuel Bolduc and Scott Mayfield got caught on the ice for 1:23 before both made mistakes on an eventual back-door tap-in. The inability to get pucks out on initial attempts disallowed even a chance for either to head to the bench.
How do the Islander's road struggles compare to the rest of the Metropolitan Division?
The Islanders' 20 road points rank seventh in the Metro, with only the Columbus Blue Jackets recording fewer points (15).
If the Islanders are going to make the playoffs, they need to find a way to not only improve their play on the road but earn more points when they are in front of their home crowd.
New York owns a 10-4-6 record on home ice, earning 26 of a possible 40 points.
While they have been about .100 points better at Elmont, the Islanders' home schedule this month is slim, with two home games coming up this week before embarking on yet another four-game road trip.
If you ask the players and head coach Lane Lambert, every game counts just the same, whether on home ice or the road. But when points are left on the table, as we saw on this road trip, that puts an emphasis on these next two games on home ice.
These next two matchups -- Tuesday night against the Pacific Division-leading Vancouver Canucks and Thursday against the Toronto Maple Leafs -- won't be easy victories, but getting points at home becomes paramount for a team that continues to come up short on the road.
"Every game is important now," Islanders Matt Martin told The Hockey News. "You look at our division especially. It's a couple of points separating second from eighth -- four or five points -- so we got to find ways to collect points at home and use our fans and their energy.
"Obviously, two good hockey teams coming in there too. So, got to be ready for it."
The Islanders had the ability to head home sitting second in the Metropolitan Division, but after losing Saturday and the Philadelphia Flyers winning, the Islanders will start this week holding down the top wild-card spot in the East, with the New Jersey Devils just two points behind them with a game in hand.