It’s easy to see when the New York Islanders stray from the formula that head coach Barry Trotz has ridden to 40 wins to date in the 2018-19 season. Coverage isn’t as tight in the low slot, high-danger scoring chances rise, rebounds find the opponents stick blade and even their forecheck seems ragged and inconsistent.
After going through their first adversity since December with a 4-5-1 mark over ten games, allowing 30 goals, they seem to have rediscovered the formula in Monday’s 2-0 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nassau Coliseum. Even though they have won three of their past four, the wins over Ottawa were very underwhelming, even if they were required.
If there was ever a line that epitomized how the Islanders, lacking offensive firepower along with an anemic power play, need to beat their opponents, it’s the fourth unit of Casey Cizikas, Matt Martin and Cal Clutterbuck. You know exactly what you’re going to get. A crazy aggressive forecheck, relentless and dogged, along with the chance that, at any minute, you’re going to pay a heavy price for just touching the biscuit.
Courtesy of the great Eric Hornick, New York is 28-12-6 in games that all three players play and 12-10-1 when they don’t. Even though Cizikas has scored 19 goals this year (on an unsustainable 20 percent shooting percentage), his previous career high was nine. Martin has five goals and Clutterbuck eight. These guys are not around to fill the net, rather to keep the puck out of their own and make the team an absolute pain in the rear to play against.
Graziano: Islanders Need To Get Well For Stretch Run
Captain Anders Lee knows the identity of the hockey team he leads and called out Clutterbuck in his post-game comments Monday in the media scrum.
“He’s so important to what we do, on and off the ice,” Lee said via the Athletic. “He’s an important voice in the room and obviously their line sets the tone like they did tonight.”
Trotz did not even attempt to get fancy in how he described his most intense line that he has zero fear about putting on the ice in the late minutes, protecting a lead, as he did last night. “Whatever they’ve got, they’ve got,” he said. “In every sport, there are combinations or whatever, when they’re not together they don’t have the same chemistry. This was the first time in a few games they were back, and they were impactful.”
Impactful. Maybe more than that, sir. Maybe the Islanders ‘fourth’ unit is their best. Feels almost crazy saying that about a line with the skill set they possess, but it’s no joke they have combined for 16% of the team offense, constantly up the tempo and spend as much time in the offensive zone as they do in the defensive zone. There’s also the fact they are, more often than not, the first unit Trotz sends on the ice to begin a game.
It’s impossible to guess when the Islanders magic carriage will turn into a pumpkin, as standing pat at the trade deadline might tell one that the front office doesn’t feel they are just one piece away from a Stanley Cup. But, it sure has been a magical ride. One that fans and pundits did not think possible so soon after a complete remake of the management structure and the departure of the one who we promised to not talk about anymore.
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All the talk this season has been about Robin Lehner, who has battled his personal demons to a remarkable 2.19, .927 performance that has him at the top of the leaderboard for the Masterton Trophy. Now nursing an injury, the goaltending baton has been passed to Thomas Greiss, who is just as comfortable without all the fanfare his season also rightfully deserves.
Greiss, whose shutout Monday was his career-high fifth of the season, has turned in a quality start in 67% of his appearances (league average is 53%). He ranks fourth in GAA (2.26), fourth in save percentage (.927), first in even-strength save percentage (.935) and places second in shootout save percentage (.895) of all goalies who have faced more than 10 shots.
The soft-spoken goaltender, who reunited with his old goaltending coach this past summer after a tough 2017-18, makes it a point to always credit the team for his performances.
“The whole team was battling, working hard,” Greiss told Newsday Monday evening. “We didn’t give them too much. We played a tight game, tight around the crease. Most of the shots came from the outside. Everybody showed up to play for us. It was an unbelievable battle level.”
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Islanders season ticket holders were a bit taken back Tuesday night when they started receiving emails from the organization regarding a fan petition circulating on the internet to drum up support for the arena at Belmont Park. Sources have told WFAN that there seems to be no issue with the arena’s plans moving forward and all have been ‘definite’ on it getting done.
Still, odd that correspondence would come from the official team channel, rather than just fans and media pushing participation to sign the petition. With how they have been dragged through the mud in the past, why they feel some trepidation is clear and understandable.
We all know that opposition is typically louder than support, no matter the numbers, so maybe this is to just drown out what remaining voices are there not in favor of the new project.