Stefen Rosner on Morning Cuppa Hockey Talking Islanders There's no question the New York Islanders [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders/latest-news/new-york-islanders-halloween-13-facts-october-10-games-patrick-roy-mathew-barzal-noah-dobson] forwards have struggled to produce through 10 games. Mathew Barzal [https://www.theelmonters.com/p/three-ways-to-get-barzal-going-expectations] has no 5-on-5 points this season. Bo Horvat has five points (two goals, three assists). Maxim Tsyplakov, who scored in the first game of the season, has not scored a goal in his last nine games. For the players who lead the team, Kyle Palmieri and Brock Nelson, with four goals each, they would both tell you they haven't finished as many chances as they would have liked. Anders Lee got off to a hot start but only has one goal over his last five games. The fourth-line players have yet to crack the scoresheet. Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjEwMzMwMzAzNDcyODcwNjA0/usatsi_24596941.jpg] Simon Holmstrom, who was given an incredible opportunity alongside Horvat and Barzal when Anthony Duclair went down, failed to earn a point in four games on the top line. The forward group hasn't been good enough through 10 games, but the offense doesn't just fall on the forwards. Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjEwMzcxMzE4NTMxNDk5NTk4/usatsi_24630160.jpg] It's the same thing as when the defense struggles; it's not only about the players manning the blue line. So far, through 10 games, the Islanders' defense has scored one goal, and that came from seventh defenseman Dennis Cholowski against Florida. Not every defenseman is offensive-based, but Noah Dobson has not scored a goal on 32 shots, and Mike Reilly has not scored a goal on 15 shots. Ryan Pulock has no goals on 15 shots. Altogether, the defense has one goal on 101 shots (0.99 shooting %), recording 17 assists on 21 total goals, which isn't bad. But forget the individual numbers for a second because that's not where the defense has come up short. Where they've struggled, which has directly impacted chances, specifically rush chances, is on the breakout. Too often this season, the Islanders have struggled to either possess the puck out of their zone or make the in-stride pass that would create rush chances. Dobson, for as gifted of an offensive defenseman as he is, very rarely carries the puck up the ice. Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjEwMzc0ODgxMjA2ODcxMjQ0/usatsi_24501672.jpg] Reilly, who transitioned the puck with ease when he joined the Islanders, has struggled to find those lanes up the ice. Failed clears along the boards by all the defensemen, at one point or another, have slowed the team down. Adam Pelech and Ryan Pulock said before the start of the season that they wanted to bring their swagger back but have struggled to play to the best of their abilities. In addition to breakouts, the Islanders have very rarely had a defender as an option to drop the puck back to, the high guy, if you will. The one time we can remember that happening, where it led to a goal was Romanov's assits against the New Jersey Devils: A large part of this issue is that once the Islanders get the puck out of their zone, the defense is tired and needs to go for a change. Per NaturalStatrick.com [https://www.naturalstattrick.com/teamreport.php?team=NYI], Dobson leads the defense in long shifts while Reilly leads the blue line in extra long shifts. We've seen a lot of Islanders forwards have to go 1-on-2 or 1-on-3 because there's a full change going on. Tsyplakov has been really good at reading the ice and over the last few games, we've seen him get the puck in the neutral zone, not like what he's seen from an attack perspective, and throw it back into his zone to one of the defensemen to reset and try again. Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjEwMzc0OTUxODA1Mzk2MTcy/usatsi_24559560.jpg] Don't get us wrong. The Islanders have possessed the puck rather well, most notably in the offensive zone. Head coach Patrick Roy [https://www.theelmonters.com/p/islanders-patrick-roy-and-his-musical] cites the possession metrics all the time. But it's like the face-off numbers, with the Islanders being the second-best team in the NHL, winning 56 percent of their draws. Those stats don't matter if you don't do anything with them. There's no question that the defensemen have provided forwards with glorious chances to score, whether low shots into traffic or springing players on fast breaks, but they haven't come through. And honestly, given the number of chances, the Islanders shouldn't have been shut out in four of their first 10 games and should have a better record. It's a cliche, but you are what your record says you are, even if the advanced metrics and even the eye test tell a different story. At the end of the day, all that matters is the record. The Islanders haven't proven to be a dangerous team off the rush, and much of that responsibility falls on the blueliners. In today's NHL, speed and skill are the name of the game, and these last two losses against "weaker" and faster teams are Exhibit A and B of what's missing from this group.
