Despite a disappointing loss to the Seattle Kraken, the New York Islanders showcased notable improvement on their special teams. In their game against the Kraken, the Islanders had a perfect night on the penalty kill, successfully defending against all power play opportunities. This included an impressive four-on-three kill in overtime before ultimately losing in a shootout. Additionally, the team scored their lone goal on the power play, which has been a struggling area for them recently. Out of their past 33 attempts at five-on-four, they have only managed to convert on five occasions.
Islanders coach Patrick Roy expressed his satisfaction with the team’s penalty kill structure after the game. He noted that most of the goals they had given up were due to issues with their forecheck triggers. Roy believes that by addressing this issue, the team can build upon their strong penalty kill performance. However, the Islanders will face a tough test in their upcoming game against the Rangers, who boast top-five power-play and penalty-kill units.
The Islanders have been able to somewhat balance their struggling penalty kill with a strong power play throughout the year. Unfortunately, their power play has also fallen off over the past month. However, there is hope that Kyle Palmieri’s goal from the crease in the game against the Kraken could be the start of fixing their power play struggles.
Roy expressed his desire for more movement and action in their power play setup. He believes that a more dynamic approach, with give and go, walking in, going out, sliding and going backdoor, can lead to more success. Roy acknowledges that this change in mentality will take time and depends on the type of penalty kill they are facing. He emphasizes the importance of more movement and adapting to different defensive strategies.
In terms of player updates, Mathew Barzal, who missed a couple of practices earlier in the week, was a full participant in practice and stated that he feels good ahead of the upcoming game. Hudson Fasching’s availability against the Rangers remains uncertain, as Roy described him as day-to-day.
Lastly, goaltender Ilya Sorokin set a new club record for the Islanders with his 10th loss this season in overtime or a shootout. This surpasses Rick DiPietro’s mark of nine losses during the 2006-07 season.
While the Islanders may have suffered a disappointing loss to the Kraken, their improved performance on special teams provides hope for the future. With a strong penalty kill and the potential to fix their power play issues, the team is determined to bounce back and find success against tough opponents like the Rangers. As they continue to work on their strategies and player availability improves, the Islanders are confident that they can build upon their recent improvements and achieve positive results.
