Following up on yesterday’s article, where I looked at how New York’s current forward lineup differs from last year’s playoff lineup, this piece will look at what’s changed on the blue line and in net for the Islanders.
In short, the defensemen starting the series will likely be the same as last year. Here’s New York's lineup from Game One against Pittsburgh last season:
Pelech - Pulock
Toews - Mayfield
Leddy - Boychuk
Lehner
Greiss
Then here’s a projected lineup for the qualifying round:
Pelech - Pulock
Toews - Mayfield
Leddy - Boychuk
Varlamov
Greiss
The defense pairings will probably be the same, with a returning Adam Pelech on the top pairing with Ryan Pulock, Scott Mayfield paired with Devon Toews and Johnny Boychuk with Nick Leddy.
The only major difference is that the Islanders do have more depth this year. Andy Greene was a trade deadline acquisition and if anyone goes down with an injury, he could seamlessly enter the lineup. There’s also a chance we see him get a spot over Boychuk, though I’d say Boychuk is probably likely to start in the qualifying round over Greene. The Islanders also have Noah Dobson up in the NHL this year, though it’s unlikely that he’ll see any ice time in the playoffs.
The most significant change is in net, where the Islanders will likely be rolling with Semyon Varlamov as their starter, replacing Robin Lehner. While Varlamov did have a fairly strong year, he’s not really on the same level as Lehner. As a backup, Thomas Greiss will once again be a solid option if called upon.
While New York is stronger up front than they were last season, it’s a bit less clear on defense and in net. The defense group is likely to look the same (but with more depth in the press box to work with), while the team is a bit weaker in goal.
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Here’s today’s poll question (results and discussion will be posted on Monday):
When it comes to New York's situation in net for the playoffs, do you feel:
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