Islanders Trying To Fix Team Chemistry

Hello there NY Islanders fans I am coming to you from Sunset Park in Port Washington and bringing you the latest on the Islanders. 

The Islanders are on a four game west coast trip and trying to right the ship. Coming into tonight’s game against the Vancouver Canucks, the Islanders have not lived up to this writer’s expectations. After getting off to a 2-0 start, the team looked set to make a decent run. Although they have been picking up points throughout the early part of the season, they have not put in a consistent 60 minutes yet. 

 

Although it is nice to have veterans who can provide experience, youth is king on the ice.  Every king needs a prince, and that prince is veteran experience.  Locker room attitude and team mentality are molded by experienced hockey players.  Too many old skaters on the ice can be a detriment to a team in regard to speed, hand-eye- skills, and overall longevity.  Vancouver’s youth has proved to be their elixir for success, while veteran presence has been the Islanders kryptonite.  This is seen most in the Canucks’ young players Brock Boeser and Quinn Hughes.     

 

A veteran general manager can be beneficial in many ways and can be detrimental as well.  A perfect example of this is the Islanders’ GM Lou Lamoriello.  He is skilled at finding key pieces for playoff pushes, like Bo for example.  The downside of his veteran experience is his lack of ability to spot youthful players. 

 

Ilya Sorokin, runner up for the 2022 Vezina, has looked like a shell of his former self. Ilya’s recent contract extension may be weighing heavily on his mind and contributing to his poor play as of late. Regardless of Ilya’s average performance so far, the fault is not all on his shoulders. If the Islanders cannot light the lamp, one cannot expect them to come out with a W. 

 

Going into the offensive struggles of the Islanders, captain Anders Lee has only two goals on the year after coming off 25 in the 2022 season.  Bo Horvat, who the Islanders acquired at the trade deadline last season, recently signed a contract to remain on the Islanders on a long term deal.  He has been assisting on goals but not putting the puck in the back of the net. 

 

Hopefully, the Islanders can turn their ship around before it takes on too much water.  The Isles are going into tonight’s game against one of the hottest teams in the NHL. Hopefully they can put in good consistent effort and come out with a win in regulation tonight. You can catch the Islander Vancouver game on TNT starting at 10pm. Let’s Go Islanders YES YES YES