If Ryan Pulock returns, who does Barry Trotz take out of the Islanders' lineup?
Ryan Pulock of the Islanders reacts in the second period against the Devils at Prudential Center on Nov. 11 in Newark, N.J. Credit: Getty Images/Elsa
Injuries always alter NHL lineups. In that respect, and noting the COVID-19 outbreaks that really impacted their personnel, the Islanders are just another team that has had to mix and match line and defense pair combinations.
But it’s what coach Barry Trotz is still searching for that is concerning as the Islanders finally approach the second half of their season. More continuity is needed up front. More efficient puck transportation is needed from the back end.
Which is why Trotz’s upcoming lineup decisions will prove fascinating.
Right-shooting top-pair defenseman Ryan Pulock presumably soon will be ready to return from a foot injury that has kept him out since Nov. 15. He’ll be in the lineup the nanosecond both he and the team determine he’s ready.
But Trotz then must sit one of the six defensemen now in the lineup. He has steadfastly stuck with left-shooting future Hall of Famer Zdeno Chara though the 44-year-old’s mobility has diminished.
But rookie Robin Salo, also a lefty, arguably gives the Islanders their next-best puck-moving option among their defensemen after Noah Dobson.
A root cause of the Islanders’ disappointing season — again, noting the injuries and COVID-19 outbreaks that left the roster shallow for stretches — has been their struggles moving the puck from their own zone and through the neutral zone. The back-to-back offseason losses of Devon Toews and Nick Leddy, both traded for salary cap purposes, has taken its toll.
Salo has been quarterbacking the second power-play unit but Pulock likely will be reinserted onto the man advantage when he rejoins the lineup.
Likewise, Trotz has yet to settle on his top-six forward line combinations.
Right wing on top-line center Mathew Barzal’s trio has been a revolving door. Kieffer Bellows, despite his blistering shot, has been in and out of the lineup. Sharpshooter Oliver Wahlstrom still is developing his overall game, so Trotz has been reluctant to use him with Barzal. Kyle Palmieri, who returned to the lineup in Thursday’s 3-2 loss to the Kings at UBS Arena after a 10-game absence because of a lower-body injury, is stuck on one goal and has gone 12 games without a point.
"Kieffer, for me, is a little more natural on the left side," Trotz said. "Palms has missed a good portion of the season. Once we hit [next weekend’s [All-Star] break, you come out and you’re playing every second night. I’m trying to get some of these guys in. Palms, I put him in and it’s catch up to the train a little bit, as he has to."
The trade deadline is March 21. The Islanders, desperately trying to make a playoff push, need answers well before then.
Varlamov’s prowess in shootouts
When Semyon Varlamov backstopped a 4-3, nine-round shootout victory in Philadelphia on Jan. 18, he improved to 3-0 in shootouts of at least nine rounds. He’s won one at each of his three NHL stops, including a victory over the Islanders. Varlamov made 31 saves against the Flyers before turning aside all nine shootout attempts.
"It’s been a while, this kind of situation," Varlamov said after beating the Flyers. "I thought I got lucky. They missed the net. I was pretty deep in those moments in the net. If they hit the net, it could be a goal. But I had a pretty good plan for the shootouts and everything worked out well."
On Feb. 3, 2015, Varlamov led the Avalanche to a 3-2, 11-round shootout win in Dallas, making 30 saves and allowing three goals in the skills competition.
And on Nov. 11, 2009, he came on in relief of Jose Theodore to help the Capitals rally to a 5-4, 11-round shootout win over the visiting Islanders, making 25 saves and then stopping 10 shots in the shootout, including the final seven.
Thomas Greiss was the Islanders goalie for the longest shootout in team history, a 3-2, 14-round win in Anaheim on Nov. 22, 2016. Defenseman Nick Leddy scored the deciding shootout goal against the Ducks’ Jonathan Bernier.
Weather-related
Saturday’s snowed-out home game against the Kraken marked the seventh time in Islanders history that they’ve had a game postponed because of weather. They are 2-4-0 in the makeups. Here’s the rundown (with the original date of the game and opponent, the location, the reason for the postponement, the makeup date and the final score):
Dec. 26, 1975, Red Wings at Detroit, snow – Feb. 6, 1976, L 4-3
Feb. 7, 1978, North Stars, Nassau Coliseum, snow – March 26, 1978, W 6-3
Dec. 31, 1978, Chicago at Chicago, snow – Jan. 22, 1979, W 2-1
Jan. 21, 1979, Sabres at Buffalo, rain/fog – Feb. 14, 1979, L 2-1
March 13, 1993, Penguins, Nassau Coliseum, snow – March 14, 1993, L 3-2
Jan. 23, 2016, Flyers, Barclays Center, snow – April 10, 2016, L 5-2
Saturday, Kraken, UBS Arena, snow – Wednesday, ?
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.
