Islanders Blanked 5-0 By Wild The New York Islanders [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders/latest-news/new-york-islanders-minnesota-wild-anders-lee-brock-nelson-bo-horvat-cal-clutterbuck-lambert] defensive play has been a major storyline this season for all the wrong reasons. For a team whose identity was their backend behavior, they've allowed 3.33 goals per game, the 10th most in the NHL, allowing the second-most shots against per game (35) and the second-most shot attempts per game (56.67). Starting netminder Ilya Sorokin [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders/players/ilya-sorokin-new-york-islanders-toronto-maple-leafs-2022-23-2023-24] has faced the most shots in the NHL (1,065), 55 shots more than Colorado Avalanche netminder Alexandar Georgiev. Reading this, you may be thinking. "Wow, the Islanders need to block more shots." The problem for New York is that not only have they blocked shots but also blocked the most shots in the NHL, with 19.17 shots per game (837 total). It's been a collective shot-blocking effort from the Islanders, with Alexander Romanov [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders/players/alexander-romanov-new-york-islanders-hits-montreal-canadiens-lane-lambert] leading the way with 100, followed by Noah Dobson [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders/latest-news/noah-dobson-new-york-islanders-assists-power-play-defense-romanov-lambert]'s 99, Not only has the shot-blocking not paid dividends for the Islanders because of the number of goals they've allowed, but it's also led to injuries. In the 5-0 loss to the Minnesota Wild, Romanov blocked a shot up high, forcing him to leave the ice before returning. Earlier in the season against Carolina, he took a hard shot to the chest, knocking the wind out of him. The latest injury to come from a blocked shot was Casey Cizikas [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders/game-day/new-york-islanders-casey-cizikas-lane-lambert-barzal-horvat-lee-nelson-palmieri-pageau], who is out week-to-week after taking a Filip Hronek one-time to the right leg in their 5-2 loss to the Vancouver Canucks last Tuesday. Ryan Pulock [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders/players/ryan-pulock-new-york-islanders-ltir-ir-cap-space] hasn't played since Dec. 7, after he took a Zach Werenski point shot off the right foot in their 7-3 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. He has yet to resume skating while on long-term injured reserve. Top-line center Bo Horvat [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders/features/bo-horvat-new-york-islanders-vancouver-canucks-trade-lamoriello] took a Brady Skjei shot off the left ankle in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Hurricanes at UBS Arena on Nov. 6. The Islanders were fortunate he only had to miss one game. Defenseman Scott Mayfield [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders/players/scott-mayfield-new-york-islanders-injury-ankle-season-2023-24-contract] suffered a lower-body injury the first game of the regular season, as he took a Rasmus Dahlin slapshot off the left ankle in a 4-3 win over the Buffalo Sabres. Mayfield missed the next seven games and still doesn't look 100 percent over three months later. There are only three teams sitting top-10 in blocks that are currently in playoff spots, with the Vegas Golden Knights blocking the third-most shots in the league (816), the Philadelphia Flyers blocking the fifth-most (790), and the top wild-card Detroit Red Wings, who sit 10th (691). The Islanders haven't had enough big-time blocks on the penalty kill, which has allowed the fourth most power-play goals against (36) and ranks third worst in the NHL (72.3%). Blocking is fantastic for a team if they can limit chances against and make life easier for their netminders, with staying healthy also a top priority. The Islanders haven't limited opponents' chances even with the alarming number of blocks and have paid the price with numerous injuries. The Islanders can ill-afford to lose any more players, especially members of a backend that, collectively, is still working its way back. But the Islanders can't afford to give up added goals as the offensive has gone dry in January. It's a balancing act, and the negatives that come with shot blocking have tremendously outweighed the positives. Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjAzNjA2MzgxNTc4NjkyNTM5/hockey-night.jpg] You can watch Rosner talk Islanders hockey on Hockey Night in New York [https://www.youtube.com/@hockeynightny] with co-host Sean Cuthbert [https://twitter.com/seanyhockey] live Sunday nights at 8 PM ET during the season at twitch.tv/hockeynightny [https://www.twitch.tv/hockeynightny].
