Islanders & The Craziness Of The Eastern Conference Playoff Race The New York Islanders [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders/latest-news/patrick-roy-new-york-islanders-ilya-sorokin-wild-card-semyon-varlamov-detroit-red-wings-2024-stanley-cup-playoffs] are preparing to face the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday night, a game with major playoff implications. The Islanders trail the second wild-card Red Wings by three points with a game in hand and could move within one point with a regulation win. Islanders head coach Patrick Roy is going with new-look lines yet again, hoping he can spark his team and help end what's been a miserable five-game losing streak: As you can see here, the new lines do not have Mathew Barzal and Bo Horvat back together. "I appreciate that our guys are willing to do whatever it takes to win hockey games," Roy said on Thursday morning. And that's the mindset of this team. So, Brock's moving to the side with Bo and Kyle. I mean, I love that line. I thought they did well. And I think all year, Anders [Lee] and Barzal have been playing together. "So, I think Anders, as a physical presence, will go to the net will help Barzal to to skate more freely on the ice." Barzal and Horvat have played a total of 1:31 together at 5-on-5 over the Islanders' last two games after Roy separated them during their 4-3 overtime loss to the Ottawa Senators this past Saturday. He moved Kyle Palmieri up to the top line while Barzal skated with Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Anders Lee. Now, Barzal has a new player on his right, Hudson Fasching, who has looked like the energizer bunny he was a season ago in his last two outings. Roy is doing his best to balance out a lineup that has just four 5-on-5 goals over its last six games. But that doesn't change the fact that the Islanders' offense is more productive when Horvat and Barzal are together. When the Islanders acquired Horvat from the Vancouver Canucks last January, it was a move to give Barzal a running mate. Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjA1MTc5OTAzMjQ1NTU4OTc2/usatsi_22476398-2.jpg] Barzal, a natural-born center, moved to the wing position to accommodate the move. Although a regular-season injury to No. 13 dampened the duo's early growth, they've been dominant when playing with one another this season. Let's dive into the numbers: - When the two have been on the ice this season at 5-on-5 (828:49), the Islanders have owned a 53.62 Corsi For % (CF%, shot attempt differential), outshooting their opponents 522-408, outscoring their opponents 44-31, with 190 high-danger chances (HDC) to their opponents' 63. - When the two haven't played together, the Islanders have been worse, but Horvat has remained productive, being on the ice for eight goals for and eight goals against, with a 40.44 CF%. - When Barzal hasn't been with Horvat, the Islanders have been outscored 14-6, with a 44.97 CF%. The CF% metric is important here as, under Roy, he's focused heavily on having sustained offensive zone time and needs that from his struggling squad, given the defensive struggles. How do the numbers compare based on who was coaching? - Under former head coach Lane Lambert -- 43 games and 534:28 -- with a 53.08 CF%, outshooting opponents 345-271, outscoring them 31-21 and recording 136 HDC to their opponents' 124. - Under Roy -- 23 games and 292:22 -- when Horvat and Barzal were out there, the Islanders owned a 54.73 CF%, outshooting opponents 177-137, outscoring them 13-10, with 54 HDC to their opponents' 39. Barzal and Horvat have played a total of 1:31 together over the Islanders' last two games after Roy separated them during their 4-3 overtime loss to the Ottawa Senators this past Saturday. He moved Kyle Palmieri up to the top line while Barzal skated with Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Anders Lee. Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjA1MTc5OTUxODMyMzc2NTEy/usatsi_22813612.jpg] The change didn't help fix the win-column issue that's plaguing the team, with the Islanders going on to lose their next two games for five straight losses heading into Thursday night's game against the second wild-card Detroit Red Wings. "Sometimes, you just try different things," Roy said after the loss to Ottawa. "All year, Brock and Kyle have been clicking well together, and we'll see how it goes with Bo. I mean, we got to try things." Horvat and Brock Nelson clearly have chemistry, with their line producing their last four 5-on-5 goals, not including Nelson assisting on the Horvat power-play goal to force overtime against the Senators. Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjA1MTc5OTY0NDQ4ODQzMzk2/usatsi_22678736.jpg] On the flip side, Barzal's latest line with Lee and Pageau was outscored 4-0 before Roy had Holmstrom on that line with Barzal at the center position. Lee and Pageau weren't garnering enough attention from the opposition, which has allowed them to key in on Barzal. He has been shut down over the last five games with just one assist. Roy is trying to generate offense, believing that Palmieri is a better fit with Nelson and Horvat at this moment. He can only hope that Barzal can break out and get back to being the offensive machine he was merely just a few weeks ago. Statistics are courtesy of NaturalStatrick.com [https://www.naturalstattrick.com/] and MoneyPuck.com [https://moneypuck.com/]. TOP STORIES
