The Islanders will play their first ever playoff game in Brooklyn tonight at 8pm. New York returns home from South Florida tied 1-1 in their best of seven game series versus the Panthers. While the Islanders were outplayed badly in game one, they managed to take advantage of poor goaltending from Roberto Luongo. New York’s play improved significantly during game two but so did the play of Luongo and the Panthers were able to level the series.
I feel we can directly point to two key areas of the Isles team that has to improve immediately. The fourth line of Florida is matching the play of the Isles fourth line. This has to change tonight. But more importantly has been the play of both teams second lines. To be blunt, the Panthers second line is mauling Nikolay Kulemin, Brock Nelson and Josh Bailey and after two games you can look specifically to this clear advantage for Florida.
The play of the second line for the Isles, well, has been downright pitiful. The play of Josh Bailey has eroded from Bailey being invisible to the former first rounder becoming a blatant liability on the ice. Personally I sit Bailey in favor of Steve Bernier and perhaps move up another winger to play with Kulemin and Nelson. You simply cannot win series with the play of the second line. Now not everything has been terrible through two games.
The play of lines 1 and 3 have been good and both lines are creating chances. John Tavares is playing his best hockey of the season and he has finally found some chemistry with Frans Nielsen and Kyle Okposo. The smurf line, or third line, has used its speed correctly and despite being undersized, the likes of Ryan Strome, Alan Quine and Shane Prince have won many battles along the boards and have forechecked effectively.
Thomas Griess has been very good through two games and the bottom pairing of Thomas Hickey and Ryan Pulock have been solid. The Islanders however need better play from their top four dman especially in moving the puck out of their zone. New York has gone stretches without sustained pressure and that starts with ability to cleanly exit the zone.
As for the game tonight, the defense remains the same and Thomas Griess returns between the pipes. Once again, I would insert Steve Bernier into the line for some much needed size and also hold one of the struggling New York forwards accountable but there is no word yet on the forwards for tonight’s game.
The crowd will be buzzing tonight and New York has to take advantage of that in the first period. They need to harness that energy and can’t give up another early goal. This series is not going to be easy. The Panthers are showing why they won their division this season. However, I feel that the Islanders are more than capable of winning this series. It really comes down to the players on the ice. I have said throughout the season that this year will be defined by New York’s’ top nine forwards. Well through two games six of the nine are answering the bell. We just need to get the other three out of their coma and this team has more than a puncher’s chance.