Stefen Rosner on Morning Cuppa Hockey Talking Islanders EAST MEADOW, NY -- The New York Islanders [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders/] will face the Detroit Red Wings for the third time this season on Monday night. And for the third time in as many games, they'll go up against Alex Lyon, who has had their number. In two games against Long Island, Lyon is 2-0-0, stopping 52 of 53 shots for a .981 SV% and a 0.50 GAA. Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjEwOTU1NTk5OTc2ODY3NjY1/usatsi_22656747-1.jpg] He recorded a shutout win against the Islanders, stopping all 30 that came his way on Oct. 22 before beating Patrick Roy's squad yet again a few days ago, making 22 saves on 23 shots for a 2-1 win on Nov. 21. "They're going to play hard, especially being in their building," Lyon said at Sunday's practice (J/t Jonathan Mills). "When you beat a team twice, I think they have a bad taste in their mouth." Lyon is a beatable goaltender. In his eight appearances this season, he has a 2.85 GAA and a .908 SV%. He's allowed four or more goals in four of his eight starts and, at 5-on-5, owns a -1.0 Goals Saved Above Expected (GSAE), per MoneyPuck.com [https://moneypuck.com/goalies.htm]. But when he's dialed in, he's been rock solid. When he hasn't played the Islanders, six starts, the Minnesota native owns an .886 SV% with a 3.33 GAA, which includes a shutout win over the New York Rangers. "I think we just have to get lots of pucks and traffic to the net," Islanders defenseman Noah Dobson said. "They play pretty well defensively, so just finding ways to get inside, on their structure, is key. "But yeah, he's played well versus us, and we just got to do a good job getting pucks and body." Of the 20 goals that Lyon has allowed this season, 10 have come in the first period, a period where the Islanders have outscored their opponents 16-12 and 8-5 on home ice. So, the key for the Islanders is to do what Dobson says, but right from puck drop, and if they do get a lead, find a way to build on it before the opening frame comes to a close.
