We all know the expression, “Defense wins championships”. And I tend to agree with that notion across sports, but even the best defenses isn’t enough to get the job done. The New York Islanders defense got them so far in 2020 and 2021 but where they faltered was on the offensive side of the puck.

As we sit back and continue to break down the disastrous 2021-22 season, the Islanders defensive play was not its usual self allowing 2.82 goals per game. In a defensive “down year” that number ranked seventh-best in the NHL.

The reason I say defensive play rather than defense is because offensive players have a lot to do in the success of the Barry Trotz defensive scheme, and they played a part in the inflated goals against per game.

With Trotz out the door and Lane Lambert stepping into his skates, the deviation away from the defensive game is slim, with minor adjustments to be made, assuming that the thought process is to add a little more offense to their game.

The Islanders averaged 2.79 goals per game, the 10th fewest goals per game in the NHL. Now, we saw a lot of players have down years but if we continue to beat the proverbial dead horse we are going to have PETA on our hands.