Why are the Islanders considered a good defensive team?

[Bjornar Moxnes]

It seems that having Leddy, Boychuk, De Haan, and previously Hamonic has made Islanders probably the most overrated team defensively. Every year they are among one of the worst teams in the league in every defensive metrics including GA. Yes Capuano had a terrible system, but still he's gone and the Islanders are still a bad team in defensive metrics.

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[13th Floor]

We were considered a good defensive team?

 

[Bjornar Moxnes]

We were considered a good defensive team?

Eh maybe not good, but people don't consider the Islanders as a bad or even below average defensive team. A lot of people say the Islanders have a lot of good Dman and are a team that is complete in everywhere.

 

[Regal]

I don't remember anyone claiming they were a good defensive team. I've heard them claim they have a solid defense. Same as with Calgary, there's a big difference between having good individual defensemen and having good team defense. Defensemen have value for their transition and offensive games, where Leddy in particular excels, and the Isles under Weight seem to play an uptempo game that trades a lot of chances that isn't going to do anyone's defensive numbers a world of good.

 

[SI90]

We were considered a good defensive team?

This is what I’m wondering? We have depth but only 1 top pairing Defensman. And a couple of solid ones. Our defense isn’t horrible but it’s not great. We need another solid top4 Defensman.

Goaltending is the bigger issue

 

[WangMustGo]

This is what I’m wondering? We have depth but only 1 top pairing Defensman. And a couple of solid ones. Our defense isn’t horrible but it’s not great. We need another solid top4 Defensman.

Goaltending is the bigger issue

This. The defense is probably average, but the goaltending has been horrendous.

 

[Bjornar Moxnes]

I don't remember anyone claiming they were a good defensive team. I've heard them claim they have a solid defense. Same as with Calgary, there's a big difference between having good individual defensemen and having good team defense. Defensemen have value for their transition and offensive games, where Leddy in particular excels, and the Isles under Weight seem to play an uptempo game that trades a lot of chances that isn't going to do anyone's defensive numbers a world of good.

Except Flames post-Hartley era are top 10 in most shot suppression metrics, in fact better than Nashville, Washington, Anaheim, etc. who are all considered "elite defensive teams". Islanders have always been really bad in defensive metrics and also goals against metrics, yet their goalies have good adjusted save percentage, so it's definitely not goaltending.

 

[Drunk Attorney]

Why are the Islanders considered a good defensive team?

They aren't. Out of 26 games, they've allowed 4 or more goals in 10, they've allowed exactly 3 goals in 10 more, and they've allowed fewer than 3 goals in only 6. And I've never heard anyone claim that they are good. Ever. Almost every Islanders thread praises that their stellar scoring will help them to make the playoffs but worries and assumes that they will be bounced because of poor defense and goalie. It seems every other thread any Isles fan posts is "Should we trade for [so and so] dman?"

 

[IslesBro715]

When did anyone consider us a good defensive team? lol

 

[ZJuice]

I have never in my life heard anything suggesting that the Islanders are a good defensive team.
They aren’t bad though

 

[tony d]

They are passable, still the team is playing some good hockey this year. Enough to get Tavares to re-sign there I wonder?

 

[macleod50]

Good defensive team?

More like remarkably mediocre.

 

[Incarnadine Sea]

You certainly won't hear any Islander fans saying this.

It seems that Weight has the team playing at their optimal offensive output while neglected the defensive aspect. It has worked so far, but will not lead to success in the playoffs.

I noticed that when Capuano was the coach, he would try to get the team to play defense first and they wouldn't give up many goals, but they hardly scored any. The team can focus on defense or scoring. But they can't do both.

That being said, this is the most fun I've had watching the Islanders in years. And really, that's what it's all about. Fun and exciting hockey.

 

[Luigi Lemieux]

I can't think of any islander or non islander fan who has ever said that. Bizarre.

 

[Mr Misunderstood]

You certainly won't hear any Islander fans saying this.

It seems that Weight has the team playing at their optimal offensive output while neglected the defensive aspect. It has worked so far, but will not lead to success in the playoffs.

I noticed that when Capuano was the coach, he would try to get the team to play defense first and they wouldn't give up many goals, but they hardly scored any. The team can focus on defense or scoring. But they can't do both.

That being said, this is the most fun I've had watching the Islanders in years. And really, that's what it's all about. Fun and exciting hockey.

And winning, which they've done pretty frequently so far.

But on topic, they have to do something about the goals against if they want continued success. Whether that is Defense or Goaltending, something has to change for the better.

 

[FourRings]

Isles need a top-4 D and/or a better goalie.

 

[Macch]

I think we have good individual players , but as a unit (forwards included) we are not a good defensive team.

I would also say our goals allowed is inflated by awful goaltending.

 

[Coffey]

lol This thread

Shut 'er down.

If this was in the polls, it would be

0 - Yes they were overrated
63 - What? Nobody ever said they were defensively good

 

[saintunspecified]

The D corps is middling defensively. The forwards are well below-average.

NYI lost Grabovski and Nielsen who were both good on D and replaced them with nothing. Kulemin is injured long-term. Cizikas is injured, but should be back soon.

Basically we have one good defensive forward right now, and he's a winger in Josh Bailey. Andrew Ladd is also decent. But we stink up the middle.

NYI need a third line center in the worst way.

 

[Foppberg]

Never considered the Islanders good defensively, seem like a pretty offensive team. Not sure what OP's smoking.

 

[LeafGrief]

I missed that bulletin for sure

 

[Fatty McLardy]

Sorry OP, you're out to lunch on this one. I don't think people claimed they were good defensive team. Sure there might have been an idiot or two but you have that with every team's fanbase.

General consensus with the Isles the last few years was that Cappy wasn't a good coach and had wore out his welcome few years ago as the team failed to take the next step. They seemed to find a solid coach in Weight....so far.

 

[MatthewBarnabysTears]

The last Islanders team that I remember being considered good defensively had Kenny Jonsson, Roman Hamrlik, and Adrian Aucoin.

 

[SLAPSHOT723]

We have good defensemen, but we were never considered a good defensive team. Ever. I've been saying we need a top-4 defenseman moreso than a goalie, because once we get a better D our G's will play better.

 

[CodeE]

All the holes in our organization have the end goal of reducing the amount of goals we give up:

- Penalty-killing #3C
- Top-4 D
- Upgrade in goal