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The New York Islanders are continuing to keep pace in the Eastern Conference, now riding a four-game winning streak. They picked up two more wins over the weekend, defeating the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-2 on Friday, before beating the Philadelphia Flyers 5-2 on Saturday.
The Islanders were able to start well against Columbus on Friday, building a two-goal lead after a late first period goal from Oliver Wahlstrom, followed by a power play goal by Jean-Gabriel Pageau in the second period. However, a pair of quick power play goals later in the second frame brought the Blue Jackets back into the game, to tie it through 40 minutes. Brock Nelson helped give New York the lead once again with a great shot in-close in the third period though and after some assistance from Ilya Sorokin with some great saves, New York took the road win.
Then on Saturday, the Islanders and Flyers traded goals through the first 40 minutes, with New York taking an early lead that was erased by the Flyers later in the opening frame, before Philadelphia pulled ahead in the second period and Zach Parise tied it later on. A pair of quick goals in the third frame from Brock Nelson and Anthony Beauvillier put New York back ahead though and after a second goal off a great shot from Zach Parise (along with a late brawl), the Islanders picked up their fourth straight win.
So through 23 games this season, the Islanders sit at an impressive 15-8-0 record. Following a disappointing 2021-22 season, the team is building a case that last season may have been a fluke. More than a quarter of the way through the season, it’s a good chance to look at where the team is at now, compared to expectations entering the year.
The big change remains New York’s increased offense. The Islanders rank 12th in the NHL with an average of 3.35 goals per game, which is a massive change from in previous years. The power play success has also helped with this, ranking 10th in the league.
Mathew Barzal, Brock Nelson and Anders Lee are leading the charge, with Barzal averaging more than a point per game and Nelson and Lee having combined for 19 goals this season. Even in terms of secondary scoring, Zach Parise, Oliver Wahlstrom, Kyle Palmieri and Jean-Gabriel Pageau have all managed at least six goals this season (a pace of more than 20 goals per 82 games).
Of those seven forwards mentioned though, Barzal is the only one who has a shooting percentage of less than 12 per cent. Given the high shooting percentages, we can probably expect some of these averages to drop later on.
On the blue line, while Alexander Romanov may not have been the addition we were necessarily expecting in the offseason, he’s been a really important part of the team’s defense group. There was criticism of the Islanders giving up the 13th overall pick for the defender, but so far, he’s been well worth it. Playing in a top-four role and averaging the second-most even strength ice time of any player on the team, he’s solid defensively, adds a big physical presence and is still just 22 years old.
Speaking of defenders, Noah Dobson continues to establish himself as one of the team’s best players. With six goals and 15 points in 23 games, he’s been an offensive force for the Islanders.
The blue line overall has been adding much more offense and it’s been one of the reasons for success. The team’s defensemen have been much more involved once the team gets set up in the offensive zone and have already combined for 18 goals this season (0.78 goals per game), compared to just 32 goals over 82 games last season (0.39 goals per game). They’re basically on pace to collectively score twice as many goals as last season. That said, New York does rank second in the NHL in expected goals against right now (according to NaturalStatTrick.com) and they have been consistently allowing more quality chances this season than in previous years.
Of course, the team’s most valuable player this season has been Ilya Sorokin. In 16 games so far, Sorokin has managed an excellent .933 save percentage, which ranks tied for second in the league amongst goalies who have played at least five games this season. He continues to prove he’s elite and has absolutely been a difference-maker thus far.
Even though Sorokin has been the star though, Semyon Varlamov deserves credit as well. He’s played eight games for New York this season and holds a .916 save percentage. While I still believe dealing him for assets when his value was high about a year ago may have been the right play, his ability as a backup prevents Sorokin from being overworked.
There are still concerns, as the Islanders have rarely put together a full 60-minute effort. Even over these two recent wins, New York had only 47 shots combined. That said, it’s still a really promising start to the year, sitting second in the Metropolitan Division.
They’ll be looking for their fifth straight win on Tuesday, when they face the Philadelphia Flyers once again.
OTHER ARTICLES FROM NOVEMBER
Islanders beat Blackhawks, extend winning streak to four games
Islanders beat Blues for fifth win in a row
Islanders’ five-game winning streak ends with shutout loss to Red Wings
Islanders battle back to defeat Flames in overtime
Islanders stage another third period comeback to beat Rangers
Islanders shut out by Coyotes at home
Islanders pick up overtime win against Blue Jackets
Islanders kick off road trip with win over Senators
Islanders suffer 5-2 loss to Stars
Islanders end road trip with overtime win against Maple Leafs
Ilya Sorokin makes 49 saves as Islanders shut out Oilers 
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