The goal is to score more goals, but Islanders say it's too early to be concerned with low output

The Islanders haven’t evolved into a “two-headed monster” just yet. Of course, four games are way too small a sample size to answer whether they will struggle to score goals over the full season.

“I feel like we have enough talent and pieces in the room where we can be one of those top defensive teams but, also, we can score as well, that’s the balance that everyone’s trying to look for,” defenseman Noah Dobson said before the Islanders faced the Avalanche in their fifth game on Tuesday night at UBS Arena.

“That’s definitely what we’re trying to strive for, to be that two-headed monster where we’re known as a really good defensive team but can also capitalize as well.”

The Islanders notched just one goal in two of their previous three games, though they did beat the Coyotes, 1-0, last Tuesday before losing 3-1 in Buffalo on Saturday. In all, they scored nine goals in their first four games and only two other NHL teams have scored fewer, including Alex Ovechkin’s Capitals.

Last season, the Islanders ranked 23rd with 243 goals.

“We’re four games into the season,” coach Lane Lambert said. “We’re certainly not going to make any determinations right now about that. We’ve had some good opportunities. We’ve had some good looks. Everybody just has to take a deep breath here and move on to our next game.”

The Islanders entered Tuesday tied for 19th in the league with an average of 30.0 shots per game.

But the Sabres held them to 25 shots, and the Islanders were outchanced 79-47 on Saturday in their first road game as they played on back-to-back nights.

The Sabres had 18 high-danger chances to the Islanders’ 10, per NaturalStatTrick.com.

“I think there’s been times where we’ve had some good, sustained pressure,” said Brock Nelson, off to his typically strong start with three goals and an assist entering Tuesday. “Then there’s times where, the last game, we didn’t have a whole lot and generate enough. Offensively, you’re always looking to push it and generate more and be aggressive and attack. That’s a mentality you can have as a team.

“We can’t be concerned about it yet,” said Bo Horvat, who had two goals and an assist in the first four games and took eight shots in the season-opening 3-2 win over the Sabres. “I think we can do a better job of generating some offense. Maybe our net presence can be a little bit better. Driving the net. Simplifying our game. We’re just not getting enough shots. We need more volume.”

Lambert elevated Anders Lee to Horvat’s top line with Mathew Barzal against the Avalanche to generate more of a net-front presence.

Nelson scored 36 goals last season and a career-high 37 in 2021-22. Horvat had a career-high 38 goals last season, though just seven came with the Islanders after being acquired from the Canucks on Jan. 30. Lee scored a career-high 40 goals in 2017-18 and 28 goals the past two seasons. Kyle Palmieri has surpassed 24 goals five times, though not since being traded to the Islanders in 2021.

The point is the Islanders’ players believe they have the talent to score more.

“I think it’s just a matter of time before we’re going to start feeling the confidence and start scoring more,” said Pierre Engvall, Nelson’s linemate, who entered Tuesday with two assists “When teams are feeling the confidence, they usually score more. I think we’re on the right way.”

Whether the Islanders become that “two-headed monster” is still TBD.

By Andrew Gross

andrew.gross@newsday.comAGrossNewsday

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.