Maybe therein lies the confusion. I'm no hockey tactician, but wouldn't a focus on doubling the puck carrier run completely counter to the overall ultra-passive style they employ in their own zone?
I mean, the defensemen can barely move the puck off the wall without smothering it for 3 seconds and coughing it up, but they're also supposed to then rush around doubling forwards?
Yeah, it's kind of bizarre. I'd guess (and it's purely a guess) that the idea is to pressure the opposition into a mistake quickly to counter attack and limit their zone time. Great in theory but what's actually happening is the timing is off for whatever reason, a fumble here or a weird bounce there, and then it's a disaster.
I'm looking back at the goals from last night right now. Hertl's first goal is a very stereotypical for this team right now. Reilly is defending the puck carrier and flies by him behind the net as the carrier stops behind the goal line and throws the puck out towards the crease. Mayfield is nearby, and Horvat is above him, with only one Sharks player in the frame. Mayfield has a tough time handling the puck at the near post and tries to flip it into the corner. Now there are two Sharks players on the near side post with Mayfield right there and Horvat about three feet further away but still in fine position. Reilly and I think Barzal are both in frame still with no other Sharks player around. Mayfield and Horvat go below the goal line on the near side, Barzal goes to the faceoff dot and swings towards the wall for a breakout pass, while Reilly is on the far post. San Jose was able to retrieve the puck behind the net and dish it out into the high slot for a wide open shot from Hertl. When the pass is made a fifth Islanders, presumably Lee, is in the frame on the far side interior hash mark. So that's 5 Islanders players at or below the hash marks, only two Sharks players that deep, and nobody is covering the most valuable part of the ice. It's like Lee and Barzal are both anticipating the breakout even though the puck was never cleanly handled or retrieved. Reilly looks like he's expecting the puck carrier to go behind the net and he's going to cut them off. Instead, it's in the back of the net. That's just piss poor communication or coverage. 5 Islanders can't be that low and not covering anything of value.
The second goal was a deflection off a Pulock turnover in a bad spot, while the next two were extra attacker situations so a bit harder to dissect, though the second one of those is oddly similar to the first goal.
Puck goes below the goal line, the puck carrier is covered by Horvat, Romanov has Hertl and angles him off behind the net. The puck carrier goes from the corner towards the back of the net, Mayfield inexplicably charges in trying to cut off the pass from the puck carrier to Hertl, even though Romanov has Hertl covered on the back post already and Horvat is covering the puck carrier and not allowing him to get the puck to the slot. The puck carrier pulls up and reverses the puck. At the time of the reception of this pass there are two Islanders below the goal line covering the same player, both wingers (Holmstrom and Lee) are in the frame, and Romanov is leaving the back post to take the puck carrier who is attacking the net since both of his defensive partners are out of position behind the goal line. They're scored on because Romanov had to leave his position back post and Hertl gets the tap in. There are 5 Islanders in the frame and only 3 Sharks, but there's still a goal against. Some might blame Lee for just staring at Hertl and not rushing to him but that's a very difficult position to be in as a winger, especially down a man already. It is not his fault for the breakdown, it's Mayfield trying to double that puck carrier behind the net that causes the issue. If he just stayed where he was he would've been in perfect position to defend the first pass that reversed play towards the near wall.
