Good Morning, Islanders Country.
The Islanders have gone from awful to bad to pretty good over the last month, but all that will ensure them is possession of ninth place in the Eastern Conference by season’s end, outside the playoffs and a far cry from pre-season expectations. It won’t be good enough.
We’ve talked about the critical 11 game stretch before the All-Star break with 10 being at UBS Arena. So far, the Isles are 6-2, pretty good, right? Well, the problem is the two losses came against the only two playoff teams (Washington and Toronto) they’ve faced, a recurring theme of the season.
The Isles are now just 2-10-3 against teams currently in a playoff spot and have been outscored 46-21 in those games. No matter how many wins they collect against the Flyers, Devils, and Sabres, their slim chances at a playoff spot become non-existent if they can’t find a way to compete with the league’s best.
Coming up, Barry wants more from Wahlstrom and how the condensed schedule takes its toll. Plus, the latest Chychrun rumors, advanced stats love Ilya Sorokin’s season and Jon Ledecky reflects on the life of Clark Gillies.
Let’s dive in.
🤷♂️ WHAT’S UP WITH WALLY?: The frustration for some Islanders fans started during last year’s playoff series with the Tampa Bay Lightning and has not stopped since. They want to see Oliver Wahlstrom. They want to see him play with Mathew Barzal. They want him on the top power-play unit. But Barry Trotz isn’t seeing what he needs to see for that to happen.
Late in the second period on Friday night with the score 2-0, Wahlstrom made this turnover that led to two quality chances by the Coyotes. While both were subsequently blocked by the 21-year-old, Wahlstrom would not see the ice in the third period and was scratched in favor of Kieffer Bellows on Saturday vs. Toronto.
“Just consistency,” Trotz said when asked what he needs to see from Wahlstrom. “Wally is a big piece of what we do and a big piece of our future. But the consistency has been all over the map for me and that’s where I’m trying to reel it in a little bit with him. Being a really good pro — and I think Wally is going to be a really good pro — is the consistency level every night and I just thought he wasn’t where he should be the other night and I gave the chance to somebody else.”
Undoubtedly, Trotz feels this is the way to shape and mold his young and talented sniper. His track record as a coach speaks for itself, so much so that questioning his methods can feel silly. But how long will he go with the “carrot and the stick” approach if Wahlstrom fails to respond? Is there another way to break through? Could Wahlstrom benefit from more ice time and an opportunity to play with the team’s best playmaker? Could that raise his overall game? At least for now, Trotz has not shown a willingness to do that until the lapses in Wahlstrom’s game are remedied.
👴🏼 AGE IS MORE THAN A NUMBER: The Islanders have games on back-to-back nights at least once a month for the rest of the season and the majority of the schedule has them playing every other night.
In The Athletic, Kevin Kurz promptly points out that back-to-backs have already taken a toll on the 44, soon-to-be 45-year old defenseman.
“At the start of the third period and in the second game of a back-to-back with the Flyers, future Hall of Famer Zdeno Chara looked all of his 44 years. On his first shift in the opening minute of the frame, he was caught flat-footed at the offensive blue line and couldn’t recover, leading to a two-on-one rush the other way. A backchecking Chara failed to catch up to Oscar Lindblom, who nearly converted a pass from Travis Konecny but drew a slashing call on the Islanders defenseman.”
It’s also true that Chara played a role in the comeback win against the Flyers. He dropped the mitts with Zack MacEwen which ignited a spark on the Islanders bench. Robin Salo has now played eight games in a row, and it’s possible that when Ryan Pulock finally returns Salo will stick around so Chara, and maybe even the 39-year old Andy Greene, can get a rest when needed.
⏭ NEXT UP: The Islanders are off on Monday and return back to the ice on Tuesday to host the Philadelphia Flyers at UBS Arena at 7:30 pm.
📊 STANDINGS:
🤫 RUMOR ROUNDUP: The Jakob Chychrun sweepstakes could be coming to a conclusion sooner rather than later. In Arthur Staple’s latest with The Athletic, Staple mentions a number of teams, including the Islanders that could be suitors for the 23-year old defenseman.
“Friedman and Marek, two reliable reporters, also made sure to note there’s a whole host of other teams in the mix for Chychrun — the Panthers are in there seriously, a couple sources have said the Kings are trying hard to make it happen (though there’s word the Coyotes want to move Chychrun to the Eastern Conference) and you can’t count the Islanders out here, either.”
Rumor has it there is already one offer on the table for the Arizona Coyotes that includes “two former first-round picks, and a first-round selection at an upcoming draft.” There was no clarification on which team that offer could be from.
🧤 STAY WARM: In partnership with The Inn (Interfaith Nutrition Network), the Islanders are holding a winter hat & glove collection prior to Tuesday's game against the Flyers. Fans who donate three or more new sets of hats and/or gloves can score a 25% off coupon at Isles Lab Store or Pro Shop while supplies last.
📚 SOUND SMART: The below charts via JFreshHockey, illustrate the strides Ilya Sorokin has made in his second NHL season. The 26-year-old Russian is 3rd in the league in goals saved above expected per 60 minutes and his ability to stop high danger zone shots in-tight has been best in the league - scoring the 99th percentile in that category.
The Islanders’ back-loaded schedule is strengthens the case for a consistent goalie rotation between Sorokin and Seymon Varlamov, but it will be worth watching whether Trotz decides to ride the hot glove of Sorokin more than originally planned as each game becomes more vital to staying in the playoff picture.
🗓 ISLE REMEMBER: Part owner of the Islanders, Jon Ledecky, remembers Clark Gillies in Andrew Gross’ latest with Newsday: Clark Gillies' philanthropy, kinship with Islanders' alumni will live forever.
“He loved to tell stories and jokes and he loved the microphone," Ledecky told Newsday. "In a way, when he grabbed the microphone, it wasn’t stories regarding him. It was stories about people he played with, people who touched his life. And then it would eventually move into this incredible pitch for philanthropy. That’s a talent that very few people have because he was a larger-than-life personality.”
🔗 Clark Gillies Embodied Islanders Ethos, by Cory Wright, NHL.com: “He was bigger than life," Islanders Head Coach Barry Trotz said after receiving the tragic news of Gillies' passing. "When you saw Clark Gillies, you thought Islander. There was no doubt. He played the right way, he was part of the community. Everything you think about being an Islander.”
🔗 Islanders’ Barry Trotz looking for more consistent Oliver Wahlstrom, by Joe Pantorno, amNewYork: “Just consistency,” Trotz said when asked what he needs to see from Wahlstrom. “Wally is a big piece of what we do and a big piece of our future. But the consistency has been all over the map for me and that’s where I’m trying to reel it in a little bit with him.”
🔗 Islanders Need a More Stable Answer on Mat Barzal's Right Wing, by Matt O’Leary, Eyes on Isles: “The New York Islanders have two-thirds of a functioning top line. Anders Lee and Mathew Barzal is a good start to having a good top line but the problem is the rotation of guys who have been on the other side.”
And we leave you with this…on Sunday night, Clark Gillies’ daughter Brianna released a touching Twitter thread on the passing of her father. She gives us inisight into the husband, father, grandfather, and friend Clark was to those who knew him best.
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