Metro Division Prediction

[Kevin27NYI]

Let's hope we don't burn out Soro. I kinda feel he was a little weary come playoffs last year. I hope Varly has a strong year. This will help very much

I didn't think we needed to ride him that hard last season but hey, we got in. I do think Varly sees more than 22 this year. Hoping for a 50-30 split.

 

[saintunspecified]

Ultimately this will get us in the playoffs.

That's part of it, but it's not the only thing. I think it's a real grind sometimes for other teams to have the puck (it feels like it) all the time, while having to go through hell to get it to the net, Romanov improved a ton throughout the year. His mobility/strength combo is very very good. If he's healthy, I think he can improve even more. And Salo took a step imo during the playoffs. I think Sorokin + a healthy D corps over the season gets NYI into the playoffs as a WC. A D corps riddled by injuries imo means no playoffs. We all know by now that Pelech is NYI's most essential skater. It's day and night when he's healthy vs not.

For all the criticism of Barzal, his ES play is fine. Really, the whole team is fine at ES. The issue is that the team has to figure out the PP. We have all discussed it so much over the last year, But the team has to figure out PP entries & puck retrieval. Imo the issue is really puck retrieval - NYI fail at entries because other teams stack the line knowing that they're so inept at retrieving dump-ins.

It's very unlikely, but if the D stays healthy, and the team figures out the PP to the extent that it is average, a 2-3 finish is possible. I think people underrate how mind numbing (to opposing forwards) NYI's defenders can be. When the vast majority of the time played at ES has Pelech or Romanov on the ice, there's nothing easy for opponents. I think pundits underrate that.

 

[MJF]

The issue is that the team has to figure out the PP. We have all discussed it so much over the last year, But the team has to figure out PP entries & puck retrieval. Imo the issue is really puck retrieval - NYI fail at entries because other teams stack the line knowing that they're so inept at retrieving dump-ins.

You could say years, because this is not a problem that just popped up last season. It's more like this is an ongoing problem that bottomed out last season. Part of it is still not having replaced Nick Leddy as a puck carrier, the other part is the continued use of the same players...Barzal, Lee, Nelson, Pulock (Bailey is finally off the roster otherwise he'd be on the list too), who either hold the puck too long, can't pass well, don't headman up the ice, don't skate well, don't hit the net regularly. In short don't execute well enough. Guys who really dont' possess enough of the tools to fill the toolbox they need to run a power play. Until this changes it doesn't matter who coaches the power play.

Addendum: I think the reason we can be good at 5 v 5 and so poor on the power play is because the Islanders generate offense at 5v5 off the forecheck where board work and physical play are their strengths. The power play requires quick puck movement, execution and some measure of finesse. This is not our best attribute.

 

[saintunspecified]

You could say years, because this is not a problem that just popped up last season. It's more like this is an ongoing problem that bottomed out last season. Part of it is still not having replaced Nick Leddy as a puck carrier, the other part is the continued use of the same players...Barzal, Lee, Nelson, Pulock (Bailey is finally off the roster otherwise he'd be on the list too), who either hold the puck too long, can't pass well, don't headman up the ice, don't skate well, don't hit the net regularly. In short don't execute well enough. Guys who really dont' possess enough of the tools to fill the toolbox they need to run a power play. Until this changes it doesn't matter who coaches the power play.

Addendum: I think the reason we can be good at 5 v 5 and so poor on the power play is because the Islanders generate offense at 5v5 off the forecheck where board work and physical play are their strengths. The power play requires quick puck movement, execution and some measure of finesse. This is not our best attribute.

Keep on trying to reply, but work gets in the way (lol)

I think NYI have a personnel solution the PP, but it demands NYI thinking differently/taking more risks, which would basically involve putting Barzal on the point/going 5 forwards. Dobson is great when the puck goes low to high, but he doesn't create in the zone, and he's shown he's prone to PK forwards playing aggressively. I know it's a risk but unless they're going to magically acquire a PPQB, it's something NYI should try. Putting Wahlstrom on the left wall (corrected) opens up the high slot, and the back door. It's a lot easier to move the puck quickly when the PK can cheat the right wing (Nelson) with no consequence. (Barzal has a muffin unless he's in motion. I think being at the point makes his shot work better than on the half wall.) Also, if there's anyone who can catch a PK forward on a breakaway (how many times did Leddy do that?), it's Barzal.

 

[MJF]

Keep on trying to reply, but work gets in the way (lol)

I think NYI have a personnel solution the PP, but it demands NYI thinking differently/taking more risks, which would basically involve putting Barzal on the point/going 5 forwards. Dobson is great when the puck goes low to high, but he doesn't create in the zone, and he's shown he's prone to PK forwards playing aggressively. I know it's a risk but unless they're going to magically acquire a PPQB, it's something NYI should try. Putting Wahlstrom on the left wall (corrected) opens up the high slot, and the back door. It's a lot easier to move the puck quickly when the PK can cheat the right wing (Nelson) with no consequence. (Barzal has a muffin unless he's in motion. I think being at the point makes his shot work better than on the half wall.) Also, if there's anyone who can catch a PK forward on a breakaway (how many times did Leddy do that?), it's Barzal.

Maybe Barzy should be a defenseman lol.

Seriously, 5 forwards on the PP would make me cringe. 4F, 1D gives me agita, especially when Dobson is the lone D for the reasons you stated.

 

[steveat]

PP1

Nelson-Horvat-Barzal
AHO-Dobson

This would improve the PP immediately. We are trying to build balance for PP1 and PP2 which I do not believe is the right way to do it. Most teams will use PP1 for 1m 30s and to all players..PP2 is a nothing burger. No one pays attention to it. Because PP1 and PP2 have to share the time, it doesn't give our guys any time to get anything set up properly.

I know WHY they want to do it...They don't want to wear down our players...AHO plays PK and so does Horvat, so Lambert doesn't want to overplay them, but the team gets weaker if we try to do an overall team balance like this.

 

[BelovedIsles]

The PP woes come down to one main factor—talent. The most talented teams have the best PPs. With that said, if they tweak the system perhaps they can flirt with a middle of the pack PP, as I do believe there’s enough to have a mediocre PP.

 

[CBG]

Devils, Rangers, Canes and Pitt as we are on the outside looking in for various reasons = we still do NOT have a defenseman who can QB the power play , we are slow and we cannot score goals which is not a good recipe for success. We have an all world Goaltender and the team will go as far as he can carry them but he is NOT enough and it is a shame that he does not have a good supporting cast. It's going to be really tough watching our team while the Rangers and Devils thrive

 

[Sparksrus3]

The PP woes come down to one main factor—talent.

—scoring

 

[YearlyLottery]

You could say years, because this is not a problem that just popped up last season. It's more like this is an ongoing problem that bottomed out last season. Part of it is still not having replaced Nick Leddy as a puck carrier, the other part is the continued use of the same players...Barzal, Lee, Nelson, Pulock (Bailey is finally off the roster otherwise he'd be on the list too), who either hold the puck too long, can't pass well, don't headman up the ice, don't skate well, don't hit the net regularly. In short don't execute well enough. Guys who really dont' possess enough of the tools to fill the toolbox they need to run a power play. Until this changes it doesn't matter who coaches the power play.

Addendum: I think the reason we can be good at 5 v 5 and so poor on the power play is because the Islanders generate offense at 5v5 off the forecheck where board work and physical play are their strengths. The power play requires quick puck movement, execution and some measure of finesse. This is not our best attribute.

Good point. I would add on I do not believe Lou ever fully replaced Toews either. This used to be a much quicker team because of Toews and Leddy.

 

[Chapin Landvogt]

Good point. I would add on I do not believe Lou ever fully replaced Toews either. This used to be a much quicker team because of Toews and Leddy.

There is much I've been critical about during the Lou years, but he took on a team with a few bad contracts (yes, he then added some, at least in the eyes of many fans and pundits) and then had to weather the cap waters during a pandemic that forced every competitive team in the league to make (sometimes considerable) sacrifices, and that with an expansion draft (i.e. a painful hit for basically every team except the newbe) in between.

The price we paid consisted of ponying up an effective (but expensive) winger and trading arguably the two best-skating Dmen in the organization in back-to-back offseasons. Although the total return for Toews and Leddy was decent in light of the financial situation, that return was basically sent to Arizona to take Ladd's contract off our hands.

Unfortunately, Dmen who skate like those two don't grow on trees and cost a pretty penny.

I'd actually say there may only be 35-40 of them whatsoever in the league. That might even be a generous estimate.

But push came to shove a number of times in recent years.

 

[YearlyLottery]

There is much I've been critical about during the Lou years, but he took on a team with a few bad contracts (yes, he then added some, at least in the eyes of many fans and pundits) and then had to weather the cap waters during a pandemic that forced every competitive team in the league to make (sometimes considerable) sacrifices, and that with an expansion draft (i.e. a painful hit for basically every team except the newbe) in between.

The price we paid consisted of ponying up an effective (but expensive) winger and trading arguably the two best-skating Dmen in the organization in back-to-back offseasons. Although the total return for Toews and Leddy was decent in light of the financial situation, that return was basically sent to Arizona to take Ladd's contract off our hands.

Unfortunately, Dmen who skate like those two don't grow on trees and cost a pretty penny.

I'd actually say there may only be 35-40 of them whatsoever in the league. That might even be a generous estimate.

The Toews trade he was forced to make. I think many have their own version of history that he was somehow able to keep Toews. That offseason nobody even wanted Leddy.

Trading Leddy I think he had control over. I feel that dealing Leddy was a move to free up cap and get assets so they could also deal Ladd. I wish they could have kept Toews but the pandemic really screwed that up.

 

[Wanderson]

Hello old thoughts

 

[MJF]

Hello old thoughts

The 2 people who picked the Capitals should tale a bow.

 

[leeroggy]

To Carolina fans . . .

 

[Nizami Ganjavi]

Let's hope we don't burn out Soro. I kinda feel he was a little weary come playoffs last year. I hope Varly has a strong year. This will help very much

Indeed...

At least two teams that did not make the playoffs in the East last year will make it this year.

 

[doublechili]

I think we should send a fruit basket or something over the WAS board as an apology.

Better yet, steal a fruit basket from the Devs board and send it to WAS.