The 2019-20 season has been a roller coaster ride of highs and lows for the New York Islanders. Down 2-0 to the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Islanders are in a bit of a low at the moment.
They were decimated in Game 1 by a score of 8-2 and then dropped a heartbreaker in Game 2. The Islanders had a much better performance in the second game of the series, but a goal with 7.8 seconds left in the game obliterated the Isles hopes of tying the series at one game apiece. Game 3 takes place on Friday at 8 p.m.
Below are five takeaways from the first two games of the Eastern Conference Finals:
New York Islanders Need to Shoot More
This is by no means a secret, but after two games it’s evident the New York Islanders need to stop looking for the perfect play and just put the puck on net. As Andrew Battifarano pointed out on Thursday, the Islanders missed a few opportunities thanks to their desire to create the perfect play.
It has rarely worked during this series against Tampa Bay and it was something even the players recognized needed to change.
“I think we can shoot it a little more,” Cal Clutterbuck said on Thursday. “Rebounds are a lot harder to break up than direct passes. Direct passes can be anticipated. At this point in the season, where we’re at, teams are going to be pretty stingy in front of their net, regardless of who they are. I think we can probably do a better job of throwing pucks on and dealing with rebounds.”
A perfect example of what happens by putting the puck on the net came in Game 1 on Jordan Eberle’s first-period goal. Barzal threw a puck on net and Anders Lee was able to get the rebound shot and force Andrei Vasilevskiy to make a stop. The following rebound, Eberle was able to sneak it by the Tampa netminder.
“We have a lot to take away from that last game. You're not going to dwell on the loss, but you can look back on it, pick from it and build off of it.”
🎥 Hear from Lee, Ladd and Clutterbuck: pic.twitter.com/rWVZhTPdKO
— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) September 10, 2020
Matt Martin Showing Up During the Postseason
Cal Clutterbuck didn’t like the insinuation that linemate Matt Martin isn’t known as a goal scorer. He made that clear when a reporter asked the fellow fourth-liner about the offensive production by Martin in the playoffs.
Martin scored Wednesday’s only goal for the Islanders, which was his fifth in 18 playoff games this season. That matched his regular-season total which he scored over a period of 55 games.
“First of all I don’t think he gets enough credit for the way he plays the game,” Clutterbuck said. “He’s more talented than people think. He’s getting to the interior. He’s getting to the front of the net. You look at where he’s scoring his goals, he’s a large body that’s difficult to move and he’s getting there.
“Pucks are finding him so good on him for helping us up.”
🚨 Matt Martin
1-0 #Isles pic.twitter.com/j0trSGBdX9— Fuck Dave Portnoy ⬇️ (@TheReplayGuy) September 10, 2020
Martin has been primarily known for his physical style of play alongside Clutterbuck and Casey Cizikas. However, the forward has increasingly gotten the timely goal for New York. Martin’s first-period goal in Game 2 came just 1:24 into the period and set the tone for how the Islanders would play that period.
Power Play Still Struggling to Score
The New York Islanders have continued to struggle on the man-advantage this round against Tampa. New York went 0-fo-4 in Game 2 and recorded 13 shots on net.
The scoring chances were there, with the Islanders registering 14 chances, according to Natural Stat Trick, with seven of them being high danger chances. Still, the Islanders did not find the back of the net with a 5-on-3 man-advantage for 38 seconds and a five-minute major during Game 2.
“We have to find a way to capitalize on one of those situations and be a difference in that game,” Anders Lee said. “I think we’ve had decent looks. The 5-on-3 wasn’t our best, but that major we had some pretty good opportunities and we just weren’t able to convert. Definitely an area of focus that we need to just bear down and find a way to get one in. Take advantage of a five-minute power play or a 5-on-3 during the game.”
Isles Should Watch Their Backs
Alex Killorn was handed a one-game suspension on Thursday for his dangerous hit on Brock Nelson in Game 2. What the NHL didn’t look at was the crosscheck to the head on Nelson by Barclay Goodrow later in the game, but it was a sign that the intensity between New York and Tampa had picked up.
Matt Martin and Luke Schenn dropped the gloves in the second period and the Islanders finished the game with 53 hits while Tampa Bay had 44.
The Islanders series with Washington and Philadelphia had its moments of physicality, but never really went beyond that. With Tampa Bay, it seems like the intensity could ratchet up in Game 3.
