The goal-scorers are scoring goals, and the Islanders are winning games
Anders Lee of the New York Islanders celebrates his second-period goal against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on March 17, 2022. Credit: Jim McIsaac
The Islanders are designed to function as a balanced, four-line team. The offensive production must be spread out without a superstar scorer.
One of Lou Lamoriello’s laments about the season’s rocky first four months was that players expected to produce goals did not do so, the sum effect being the Islanders are distant enough from a playoff spot that the president and general manager must strongly consider being a seller by Monday’s NHL trade deadline.
The balance has been good, of late, with top-six forwards Anders Lee and Kyle Palmieri pacing the attack in a 2-1 win over the Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Thursday night.
The Islanders face the Stars on Saturday afternoon at UBS Arena and are in Philadelphia on Sunday. They did not practice on Friday and remained 19 points behind the Capitals for the Eastern Conference’s final wild-card spot.
Lee’s power-play tally against the Rangers extended his career-high goal streak to six games, with nine goals in that span. Ziggy Palffy was the last Islander to score in seven straight games in 1996, per team statistician Eric Hornick. Palmieri extended his point streak to six games (four goals, three assists) with his third-period winner.
"At the end of the day, I think everyone’s trying to contribute," said Palmieri, who was acquired from the Devils prior to last season’s trade deadline and signed to a four-year, $20 million extension. "It took us a little bit to find the consistency night in and night out that we had all four lines going but that’s something that we’re rolling in the right direction. I guess you can say it’s a trickle-down effect. But I think all four lines are contributing and our defensemen are making great plays."
Thursday’s win was the Islanders’ fifth in seven games (5-1-1) and left them on a five-game point streak, two short of their season high. That was a 5-0-2 run from Oct. 19-Nov. 6 before the team was beset — and their schedule impacted — by COVID-19.
"We are successful as a group when we have four lines contributing," coach Barry Trotz said. "Early in the year, you heard me say we weren’t getting that. We’re not going to win with two lines, or one and a half, or whatever."
But, again, it helps when the proven scorers are scoring.
Palmieri, whose career high is 30 goals, had just one goal in his first 29 games. But he has 10 goals in 16 games — plus two disallowed goals — since returning to the lineup after a three-game absence, the latter two as a healthy scratch.
Lee, who scored a career-high 40 goals in 2017-18, is now a calendar year past tearing his right anterior cruciate ligament.
Notes & quotes: Defenseman Zdeno Chara turned 45 on Friday. …Saturday’s matinee will be the team’s second annual Nickelodeon Day, with characters and content from the children’s network around the arena and on the Islanders’ digital outlets.
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.
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