First two weeks of December are crucial for Islanders
Washington Capitals goaltender Logan Thompson makes a stop on a shot by Islanders left wing Anders Lee in the third period at UBS Arena on Sunday. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
November revealed two sides of the Islanders, the good and the concerning.
And now these opening two weeks of December — starting with the first of three games against the Eastern Conference-leading Lightning in 12 days on Tuesday night at UBS Arena — could very well determine whether the Islanders will be a playoff contender or get buried in the standings while playing through serious injuries.
Because these next seven games present a gantlet. Details on the daunting stretch will be laid out in a few paragraphs.
“These are big games,” Ryan Pulock said after the Islanders fell to 1-3-1 on their seven-game homestand with a 4-1 loss to the Capitals on Sunday.
“Looking back the last few games, we’ve been playing great. A couple of mistakes here cost us. We’ve just got to score. That’s the bottom line right now. The chances are there, we’re making plays. We’re doing a lot of really good things. We’re just not finishing.”
It was different the first three weeks of November as the Islanders, playing exciting hockey and pushing the pace while being able to control the puck in the offensive zone, started 7-2-1. That included a 6-1-0 road trip in which they scored 24 goals and tied the franchise mark for most wins on one trek.
Returning home, the Islanders have held a shot advantage in their last three games, all losses. Yet they’ve totaled only six goals in their last five matches.
Season-ending injuries to top-six right wing Kyle Palmieri (torn ACL, left knee) and defenseman Alexander Romanov (right shoulder), along with third-line center Jean-Gabriel Pageau (upper body) being out week-to-week, have negatively impacted just how dangerous the Islanders can be in the offensive zone.
“We’re getting a lot of chances,” rookie center Cal Ritchie said after Sunday’s defeat. “The amount of two-on-ones we had tonight and the Grade-A looks we had, we’re doing everything right. It’s not finding the back of the net. We’ve got to start to bear down on our chances.”
The translation to that could be interpreted as the Islanders need to stop gripping their sticks tightly while pressing, though coach Patrick Roy instantly shot down that notion after the latest loss.
More definitively, it speaks to the lack of goal-scoring finishers in the Islanders’ lineup beyond Bo Horvat, Emil Heineman to a certain extent and, potentially, rookie Max Shabanov.
And, of course, there’s No. 1 overall pick Matthew Schaefer, whose eight goals as an 18-year-old defenseman are third on the team behind Horvat (15) and Heineman (10).
“Sometimes after games, there’s nothing to be said,” Roy said in praising the Islanders’ effort against the Capitals. “I think today is an example. We did everything right. We had a lot of shots. We had a lot of chances. It just came up short. We could find excuses. But I get it. The standard of our team is to win . . . We just need to continue to play the way we are and believe things will go our way.”
The analytics tell two tales. According to NaturalStatTrick. com, the Islanders are a respectable 10th in the NHL in expected goals for at 55.25. Yet the Islanders rank 22nd in high-danger chances for and 23rd in high-danger goals for.
So for all the shots the Islanders are taking, they’re not doing enough around the crease to make things difficult for the opposing goalies.
And that will be key for them to have any prosperity during this difficult two-week stretch.
On Thursday, former Islander Brock Nelson returns to UBS Arena with his Avalanche, who are 18-1-6. The Islanders are in Tampa Bay on Saturday and then play at the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Panthers on Sunday. Vegas and the Ducks, vying for first place in the Pacific Division, are at UBS Arena next week before the Lightning return again.
The Islanders were ninth in the conference entering Monday’s play, with only seven points separating the top 13 teams.
Stumbling through this stretch could result in falling well behind the leaders.
“It’s a frustrating feeling knowing you’re playing good hockey but it’s just not going in,” Horvat said. “That’s on us, and we’ve got to find a way to get it done.”
The Islanders showed in November they can.
They must now. Otherwise, the standings hole they dig may just be too deep.
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.
