Post-Game Talk: #2| New York Islanders @ Boston Bruins | May 31ST | 7:30 PM | F/OTW 4-3

[SI90]

And cover Pastrnak.

The guys an automatic goal. Every time he shoots it goes in it feels.

 

[SayItAintSoJohnny]

Swapping Beau for Leo doesn't make that line easier for the Bruins to play against.
Barzal + Beau speed would create headaches for the Bruins and Beau ain't a soft player, especially on the boards.
It would be an aggressive move and really take aim at Boston.

The problem with this move would be downgrading Nelson's line.

The second obvious problem would be face offs.

Barzal and Leo are a combined 16 for 66 against the Bruins this season, including 1 for 10 on Saturday....

It needs to be Pageau

 

[The Real JT]

Bossy was one of the toughest players I recall. Deep respect for him. He paid a price. You don't have to put players through the boards, just rub them out.

True about Bossy, and it probably shortened his career. That bad back came from somewhere.

From rubbing them out I suppose.
Nowadays we call it a lower body injury.

 

[notDatsyuk]

Palmeiri doesn't do face offs and my guess is if Barry is looking to do something with that top line it is going to be Zajac (again) or Pags (I hope).

For the season (including playoffs), Barzal and Komarov are 16 for 82 (19.5%) in the circle against the Bruins; including 4/26 (15.4%) in the last four- all losses.

For a line that is struggling for offensive zone time, they absolutely MUST become at least somewhat adequate winning those draws

I suppose it's not a big surprise that our worst center at faceoffs, and a winger who is usually only the second one in, and doesn't normally take faceoffs, are struggling against the best faceoff team in the league.

Cizikas, Komarov, and Pageau, in that order, were the only ones over 50% against Pittsburgh.

 

[notDatsyuk]

Trotz usually knows everything. I am not sure if this is not lost on him. The Nelson line is scoring, but they are also metrics wise the weakest defensively of the Isles 4 lines. 5v5 GA60 all 3 fwds are the worst on the team in the playoffs. It would be interesting if he swaps Komarov and Beauvillier for this game. I did notice it seemed like Cassidy wanted the Bergeron line against Nelson's line. He would rather they not play them against the Pageau or Cizikas' lines traditionally the Isles more dependable lines 5 v 5.

In the first period, they spent over two minutes against the Barzal line, but much less in the second and third, a couple of times jumping on as soon as Komarov got off.

 

[The Winter Soldier]

From rubbing them out I suppose.
Nowadays we call it a lower body injury.

Rubbing a player out for me is just finishing a check. The reason, it wears down players. You do not have to put a Clutterbuck hit to knock a player out of a game, you just have to bump skill players. It's hockey 101, skill players do not like being slowed down, they like time and space. If you are hit after each play, it wears on you mentally. IE What we did to Crosby in rd 1. Time for Marchand and Pasta to get some of this medicine.

 

[The Winter Soldier]

In the first period, they spent over two minutes against the Barzal line, but much less in the second and third, a couple of times jumping on as soon as Komarov got off.

They scored when Dobson, and the Nelson line were on from what I recall with Barzal caught out on a long shift. This is why I pointed to the Nelson line not being great shakes defensively in the playoffs, nor were they in the regular season. People tend to concentrate on offence only. I see both offence and defence, this is why I think Pageau's line has been the best in these playoffs.

 

[SayItAintSoJohnny]

I suppose it's not a big surprise that our worst center at faceoffs, and a winger who is usually only the second one in, and doesn't normally take faceoffs, are struggling against the best faceoff team in the league.

Cizikas, Komarov, and Pageau, in that order, were the only ones over 50% against Pittsburgh.

Exactly why it needs to be Pageau.

Nelson was 7 for 7 in game 1, about his norm over the last two seasons. I can handle that. He also was around that against Pittsburgh (46%) which is also doable since both Pags and Cizikas usually win 53-55% of theres.

Zajac is actually a career 54% guy himself and has matched that in his postseason history. It is why I would have him centering that third line while bumping Pags up.

Komarov may have won 8 of 14 against the Pens (very small sample size) but he has been rather awful in the circle the last three seasons (42.7%), about even with Barzal's ineptness

 

[SI90]

 

[notDatsyuk]

Exactly why it needs to be Pageau.

Nelson was 7 for 7 in game 1, about his norm over the last two seasons. I can handle that. He also was around that against Pittsburgh (46%) which is also doable since both Pags and Cizikas usually win 53-55% of theres.

Zajac is actually a career 54% guy himself and has matched that in his postseason history. It is why I would have him centering that third line while bumping Pags up.

Komarov may have won 8 of 14 against the Pens (very small sample size) but he has been rather awful in the circle the last three seasons (42.7%), about even with Barzal's ineptness

Virtually all of Komarov's faceoffs have been because the center was kicked out. Basic rule in that situation is be very careful, because getting tossed means a penalty.

When he's been the first one in, his % is much better.

Move Pageau to Barzal's wing and have Komarov center the third line?

 

[SayItAintSoJohnny]

Virtually all of Komarov's faceoffs have been because the center was kicked out. Basic rule in that situation is be very careful, because getting tossed means a penalty.

When he's been the first one in, his % is much better.

Move Pageau to Barzal's wing and have Komarov center the third line?

Well statistically (and its not even close), Zajac is the much better face off guy (even in the playoffs he has been at 54% in his career)....so I would center Travis with Kyle (hope for a rekindle, I know they tried it for a couple of games early when we got them; but I would try again) and let Leo remain that second guy in

 

[PK Cronin]

Well, the line +/- also comes into what defenders are on the ice. The second line was in there against the Pasty final goal on his hatty and that doesn't happen without Dobson's ill advised pass.

Just like Leo being the lone positive (+1) among the three on the top line. They were all in there with Pelech's low percentage slapper finding the net and in a tie game needing the go ahead goal, Beau was in there instead of Leo on the low percentage near the blue line wrister that won the game off the stick of McAvoy.

I am sure if we look we can find others in the Pens series that had more to do with a defensive player miscue or something else entirely without necessary fault of the killer B's.

I dont think Barry has any intention of breaking up that line, and metrics aside it has clearly been the best overall line

What ill advised pass from Dobson? Dobson was on the bench at the start of the last Pastrnak goal and subbed on as he was coming into the zone, which is part of what caused the confusion. It was Nelson who coughed the puck up at the blue line.

I am actually ok with either of them in net. Solid cases could be made for both of them.

I am just hoping for not the same status quo when it comes to the lines, and since you simply aren't changing your second and fourth lines then it needs to be 1 and 3.

Outshot by 63 and outscored by 10 in the last 4 games in Boston. Another game like that isn't going to bode well.

Can't continue to lose face-offs at the rate we are losing them either, particularly Leo/Matt's 4 face off wins compared to 22 face off losses ratio in the last 4 trips to TD Garden.

I hope it is Pags on the top line, I really do. The more I analyze it the more I think that solves much of our woes. I also think we need Wahlstrom back as soon as possible.

Tonight is an absolute must win. A loss would mean the near impossible task of needing to win 4 straight or winning game seven in Boston. It is exactly why I think he needs to make a BOLD move like Pags on the top line NOW....

TGI

The regular season doesn't matter come playoff time and we're a team that's routinely outshot. Pittsburgh had 231 shots, the Islanders had 187 in that series and still won. The recipe for success isn't to just get more shots, it's to get quality shots, it's to stop Bergeron's line, and to stay out of the box. Do those things and the Islanders can win.

Swapping Beau for Leo doesn't make that line easier for the Bruins to play against.
Barzal + Beau speed would create headaches for the Bruins and Beau ain't a soft player, especially on the boards.
It would be an aggressive move and really take aim at Boston.

The problem with this move would be downgrading Nelson's line.

Beauvillier with Barzal and Eberle turns that line into a no contact line that will lose every board battle. They'd need to be able to break out of their zone with speed and/or hope to create turnovers in the neutral zone consistently in order to be effective. I don't see that happening. I don't think Beauvillier is soft, but he's small and unintimidating, and he doesn't win or initiate board battles. He's sneaky and plays hard, but he needs other people to help with the board stuff and neither Barzal or Eberle will do that.

 

[GrandmaSlices51631]

As Trotz said , time to dig in.

You want franchise center cash, play like one....

 

[SayItAintSoJohnny]

What ill advised pass from Dobson? Dobson was on the bench at the start of the last Pastrnak goal and subbed on as he was coming into the zone, which is part of what caused the confusion. It was Nelson who coughed the puck up at the blue line.



The regular season doesn't matter come playoff time and we're a team that's routinely outshot. Pittsburgh had 231 shots, the Islanders had 187 in that series and still won. The recipe for success isn't to just get more shots, it's to get quality shots, it's to stop Bergeron's line, and to stay out of the box. Do those things and the Islanders can win.



Beauvillier with Barzal and Eberle turns that line into a no contact line that will lose every board battle. They'd need to be able to break out of their zone with speed and/or hope to create turnovers in the neutral zone consistently in order to be effective. I don't see that happening. I don't think Beauvillier is soft, but he's small and unintimidating, and he doesn't win or initiate board battles. He's sneaky and plays hard, but he needs other people to help with the board stuff and neither Barzal or Eberle will do that.

Yes on Dobson, he was bumped away from Pastrnak by Hall. I dont know how I missed that (or the refs for that matter)

As for "being outshot" it is like you said a relative thing for the Islanders. But when they keep it within 10 they are 5-1 against the Bruins and are now 0-3 when it surpasses that.

They have been outshot by 63 attempts in the last 4 (0-4). You aren't beating the Bruins or any team for that matter when they outshoot you by that much.

Pens outshot us by 22 in one game we won but Sorokin had to stand on his head (48 saves) to come out on top of that one. The rest of the games were relatively close in shots

 

[19 Straight]

As Trotz said , time to dig in.

You want franchise center cash, play like one....

It would help if he played with top line quality players instead of one guy who loses every physical battle and another who has minimal skill for an NHL player and hands of stone. How would Nelson be performing with if you put him on this line and Barzal with Tito and Bailey?

 

[Chardo]

It would help if he played with top line quality players instead of one guy who loses every physical battle and another who has minimal skill for an NHL player and hands of stone. How would Nelson be performing with if you put him on this line and Barzal with Tito and Bailey?

Then maybe stop looking for a perfect pass to those guys and shoot the damn thing yourself.

 

[MyLoveIsBlue]

 

[The Winter Soldier]

Trotz playing all his cards. Atleast the Isles have 2 equally good Goalies to be able to do this.

 

[IslesNorway]

I think he'll go with Varly, partly because Sorokin gave up some juicy rebounds to Pasternak, but also because he really wants Varly to be the #1.

 

[Medvescak]

Yes on Dobson, he was bumped away from Pastrnak by Hall. I dont know how I missed that (or the refs for that matter)

I didn't miss that at all. Was wondering if they should have called interference on that.

 

[The Winter Soldier]

If the isles can split the first 2 games. This would feel like a win this far in the series heading home.

 

[Throttle]

What he say about Leo?

 

[Big L]

What he say about Leo?

“He’s got to dig out.”

 

[Big L]

If the isles can split the first 2 games. This would feel like a win this far in the series heading home.

Of course it would. Becomes the best 3 of 5 with Isles home ice.

 

[Fenway]

HF Sportsbook options for 5/31 - 6/1 AND the NHL Draft Lottery on 6/2


https://hfboards.mandatory.com/sportsbook/category/hockey.3/?order=upcoming