Islanders' slow starts becoming a big problem
Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin during the first period against Chicago on Sunday. Credit: AP/Nam Y. Huh
RALEIGH, N.C. — The Islanders are an OK team not good enough to consistently withstand bad starts, even as they get healthier.
And they enter Tuesday night’s game against the Hurricanes at Lenovo Center having allowed the first goal in seven straight contests. Not surprisingly, the Islanders are 3-3-1 through that stretch, right in line with their subpar 12-13-7 record for the season.
The trend continued on Sunday afternoon in the Islanders' 5-3 loss to Chicago, which is tied with Barry Trotz’s Predators for the fewest points (22) in the NHL. It spoiled the returns of winger Mathew Barzal and defenseman Adam Pelech as the Islanders opened a three-game road trip.
Top-liners Anthony Duclair, out since Oct. 19, and Bo Horvat, who was sidelined on Sunday, could return against the Hurricanes, too.
But it’s not just giving up the first goal. The Islanders are consistently spending too much time in their own zone in the first period, getting outshot by significant margins and struggling with their passing, puck management and transitions.
Chicago took seven of the first eight shots on Sunday, even as NaturalStatTrick.com reported the Islanders had five high-danger chances to Chicago’s three in the first 20 minutes.
Chicago held an 11-6 shot advantage in the first period of the Islanders’ 5-4 win at UBS Arena on Dec. 12 to open the home-and-home series. The visiting Kings outshot the Islanders 12-3 in the first period of a 3-1 win on Dec. 10. And two days earlier, the Islanders were outshot 12-5 in the first period in their 4-2 win in Ottawa.
The Islanders typically do finally get to their game, but they leave themselves no margin of error. Take for instance, Teuvo Teravainen’s five-on-three power-play goal that gave Chicago a 3-2 lead at 15:19 of the second period on Sunday. Coach Patrick Roy called defenseman Alexander Romanov’s delay of game penalty the turning point.
“I did not know that one so maybe it’s on me,” Roy said after Sunday’s loss when asked about the Islanders’ seven-game string of allowing the first goal. “I feel like we’re ready when we start the game.”
“It wasn’t our best first,” Kyle Palmieri said following Sunday's loss. “We just played these guys so the game plan was pretty simple. We knew what we had to do. We just weren’t able to execute. Our game built a little bit. Special teams was the difference.”
The Islanders, who went 0-for-4 on the man advantage on Sunday, rank last in the NHL on both the power play and penalty kill.
It all blends in to why the Islanders simply can’t afford these repeated slow starts. Special teams cannot help the Islanders overcome deficits. The Islanders also have been outplayed in the third period, having been outscored 46-29 in the final 20 minutes this season. Plus, they have been outscored 6-1 in overtimes.
“We just need to pop in the first one, I think it’s as simple as that,” Anders Lee said. “The other teams have gotten the first one of late and it feels like we’re on our heels. We’ve just got to go after that first one right away.”
It sounds simple. But it’s been incredibly difficult for the Islanders to do.
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.
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