Player Discussion: Joshua Bailey

[PK Cronin]

Lambert changed the system at the beginning of last year and that system sucked, just remember that. Even with Bailey out of the lineup the team didn't perform well within that structure. Lambert deserves some criticism for the first half of the year and credit for how they played after the second half adjustments.

 

[Throttle]

Lambert changed the system at the beginning of last year and that system sucked, just remember that. Even with Bailey out of the lineup the team didn't perform well within that structure. Lambert deserves some criticism for the first half of the year and credit for how they played after the second half adjustments.

He implemented an offensive system because that’s what everyone wanted…and it showed the players on the team were not gonna be successful at it. It’s absolutely laughable that the unshackled version of the Islanders had its highest paid player not score for 17 games in a row - the player it was supposed to benefit the most.

 

[Rehabguy]

He implemented an offensive system because that’s what everyone wanted…and it showed the players on the team were not gonna be successful at it. It’s absolutely laughable that the unshackled version of the Islanders had its highest paid player not score for 17 games in a row - the player it was supposed to benefit the most.

The players on the team are never going to be successful on a system that is fundamentally flawed. As much as I support Trotz and for the life of me can't understand why Lou fired him and replaced him with a mini-me, the system Trotz preached was less than perfect. It was a system that at best will succeed quite well against teams that were bottom dwellers to the middle of the road but once played against the superior teams in the league was bound to fail. You can't play a game that encourages a team to sit back and wait for the other team to make a mistake- at least not against great teams like the Lightning or even very good teams like Carolina. It was excruciating watching the Isles waste 2 periods waiting for the Lightning to make a mistake just to tie the game up. Good teams know what the Islanders are up to and the Lightning for example simply didn't make any glaring mistakes and easily held onto a 1 goal lead.

Same thing in the Carolina series. The Isles turtled with a 1 goal lead thinking they can withstand an onslaught spread over two periods. No team can do that against a good team and the more chances you give a team to go on the offense the more confidence it builds for the opposing team that they can score and the less confident the Isles get that they can defend a lead the longer the game goes. It is a horrible way to lose.

Trotz system will only work when you have a truly elite player on your team who can turn the tide of a game all by himself. The Islanders don't have any such player. With such a player you can keep a game close and let the talent of one individual player make a difference. So a team with a player like Ovechkin or McDavid would do well under Trotz system.

Personally I think it's time they start over with an entirely new system that balances offense with defense not this mini-me version of the system that Lambert tried to deploy and failed. Honestly, it was much more entertaining to watch Capuano's system of play leading to a 2nd round loss than watching the Isles get to a conference final and playing a pathetic game trying to hold onto a 1 goal team or waiting and waiting until the other team makes a mistake just to lose the series.

 

[YearlyLottery]

Lambert changed the system at the beginning of last year and that system sucked, just remember that. Even with Bailey out of the lineup the team didn't perform well within that structure. Lambert deserves some criticism for the first half of the year and credit for how they played after the second half adjustments.

I will push back on this slightly. This team was in a fairly decent position at 20-14-2 at Christmas which would have given them a 96 point pace. This was obviously before the Horvat and Engvall acquisitions. The Pelech injury absolutely decimated this team. This is mostly why I am very worried about the depth of the defense currently.

Lambert was a fine coach. Unfortunately I think this is more of a roster issue than coaching issue.

 

[Seph]

I will push back on this slightly. This team was in a fairly decent position at 20-14-2 at Christmas which would have given them a 96 point pace. This was obviously before the Horvat and Engvall acquisitions. The Pelech injury absolutely decimated this team. This is mostly why I am very worried about the depth of the defense currently.

Lambert was a fine coach. Unfortunately I think this is more of a roster issue than coaching issue.

In the 26 games before Pelech went down, the Isles were 16-10-0 for a 0.615 pt%, which was 10th in the league at the time and a pace for 101 pts, During the 21 game stretch Pelech was out, the Isles went 7-9-5 for a pt% of 0.452, which was 24th in the league over that time period. With Pelech in the lineup for the other 61 games, they went 35-22-4 for a .607 pt%, which would be a pace for 99.5 pts.

No question, it's quite the difference, and certainly shows how key Pelech is to the team. And sadly, yes, I agree it also shows how lacking we are in NHL caliber Dmen outside the top 5. But we did also weather it pretty well for the first 10 games he was out, where the Isles went 5-3-2 (.600 pt%), but after that the bough really broke.

 

[PK Cronin]

I will push back on this slightly. This team was in a fairly decent position at 20-14-2 at Christmas which would have given them a 96 point pace. This was obviously before the Horvat and Engvall acquisitions. The Pelech injury absolutely decimated this team. This is mostly why I am very worried about the depth of the defense currently.

Lambert was a fine coach. Unfortunately I think this is more of a roster issue than coaching issue.

I think that's a fair point. The team couldn't continue to play that system after Barzal went down too and needed to clamp down.

 

[YearlyLottery]

In the 26 games before Pelech went down, the Isles were 16-10-0 for a 0.615 pt%, which was 10th in the league at the time and a pace for 101 pts, During the 21 game stretch Pelech was out, the Isles went 7-9-5 for a pt% of 0.452, which was 24th in the league over that time period. With Pelech in the lineup for the other 61 games, they went 35-22-4 for a .607 pt%, which would be a pace for 99.5 pts.

No question, it's quite the difference, and certainly shows how key Pelech is to the team. And sadly, yes, I agree it also shows how lacking we are in NHL caliber Dmen outside the top 5. But we did also weather it pretty well for the first 10 games he was out, where the Isles went 5-3-2 (.600 pt%), but after that the bough really broke.

I think that's a fair point. The team couldn't continue to play that system after Barzal went down too and needed to clamp down.

I also just want to point out when Pelech originally went down under Trotz this team was outside of the playoffs until the world shut down. While they went on a deep run that postseason it was only because Pelech was healthy by the postseason.

 

[xECK29x]

Bailey is gone, why is there still Bailey discorse?

 

[Lek]

Bailey is gone, why is there still Bailey discorse?

Summer School

 

[Throttle]

I also just want to point out when Pelech originally went down under Trotz this team was outside of the playoffs until the world shut down. While they went on a deep run that postseason it was only because Pelech was healthy by the postseason.

I wouldn’t undersell Greene’s contributions.

Bailey is gone, why is there still Bailey discorse?

People are waiting to rag on the team that signs him… with the way the market is going, as I already mentioned, he’s a PTO for someone.

 

[Seph]

I also just want to point out when Pelech originally went down under Trotz this team was outside of the playoffs until the world shut down. While they went on a deep run that postseason it was only because Pelech was healthy by the postseason.

Also very true. In 2019-20, the Islanders were 25-10-3 (0.700 pt%, 114 pt pace over 82) with Pelech in the line up, then went 10-13-7 (0.450 pt%, 74 pt pace over 82) in the next 30 games without him. And that was when we had Boychuk, Leddy, Pulock, Toews, Mayfield and Dobson, not to mention picked up Greene who played the last 10 games (2-5-3, .350 pt%, 57 pt pace) of the regular season before the world ended.

In 2019-20 with Pelech in the lineup, the Isles allowed 2.11 GA/60 at 5v5, good for 5th best in the league. Without Pelech the Isles allowed 2.68 GA/60 at 5v5, which was 8th worst in the league. In 2022-23 during Pelech's injury, the Isles allowed 2.21 GA/60 which was 12th best in league. With Pelech in the lineup they allowed 2.14 GA/60 for 4th best in the league. And while that's not as dramatic of a difference as in 2019-20, it's still highly notable. And for anyone that thinks that it was just due to the change in system, the Isles averaged a 2.14 GA/60 last season in the games before Pelech was injured, and then averaged the exact same amount in the games afterwards.

It's kind of crazy how important Pelech is to the team.

 

[Throttle]

It's kind of crazy how important Pelech is to the team.

In stark contrast to some other players on the team.

 

[Bones45]

Can we stop shitting on Bails already? He’s gone. He was a good soldier. Enough already.

A good soldier? Hardly. Epitome of a lazy trash player who is wasnt replaced due to isles awful scouting and inability to sign FA. As a result he played top 6 and took minutes from forwards who actually had passion and drive

Between Kvasha and Bailey, the number #12 should be retired for SUCKING.

 

[Rehabguy]

A team that sports Barzal, Nelson, Lee, Horvat, Palmieri, Parise, Pageau etc, yet year after year continues to be one of the lowest scoring teams in the league AND with one of the worst power plays in the league yet with one of the top goaltenders in the league but cannot win unless some above average defender named Pelech (who will only thrive in a completely defensive minded system) is on the ice is absolutely crazy.

This system along with its coach is fundamentally flawed. Sanity must return to this club and they need to get away from this defensive minded system. It ain’t working folks.

 

[Seph]

A team that sports Barzal, Nelson, Lee, Horvat, Palmieri, Parise, Pageau etc, yet year after year continues to be one of the lowest scoring teams in the league AND with one of the worst power plays in the league yet with one of the top goaltenders in the league but cannot win unless some above average defender named Pelech (who will only thrive in a completely defensive minded system) is on the ice is absolutely crazy.

This system along with its coach is fundamentally flawed. Sanity must return to this club and they need to get away from this defensive minded system. It ain’t working folks.

Please explain the time when Pelech failed to thrive in a non-defensive system? Are we talking about when he was 23 and playing under Doug Weight? If that's your only evidence, it's not very compelling. I just showed how well the team played with him in the not completely defensive system we played most of last year.

 

[Nizami Ganjavi]

A good soldier? Hardly. Epitome of a lazy trash player who is wasnt replaced due to isles awful scouting and inability to sign FA. As a result he played top 6 and took minutes from forwards who actually had passion and drive

Between Kvasha and Bailey, the number #12 should be retired for SUCKING.

A team that sports Barzal, Nelson, Lee, Horvat, Palmieri, Parise, Pageau etc, yet year after year continues to be one of the lowest scoring teams in the league AND with one of the worst power plays in the league yet with one of the top goaltenders in the league but cannot win unless some above average defender named Pelech (who will only thrive in a completely defensive minded system) is on the ice is absolutely crazy.

This system along with its coach is fundamentally flawed. Sanity must return to this club and they need to get away from this defensive minded system. It ain’t working folks.

Wow. Two back to back doozies. Well done guys. Are you having a contest?

 

[PK Cronin]

We're going to close this up.