The Stanley Cup Playoffs begin for the New York Islanders as they will be facing off with the Washington Capitals in a best of 7 game series. I have spent the past couple days digging deep into both teams. Lineups, coaching, special teams, I have examined them all. I want to beLIeve like everyone else that the Islanders are going to win this series but as we head into game one in my opinion the Capitals are a better hockey club.
There are three aspects of a series where I feel that the Caps have a clear advantage. There is no doubting that the Caps have a better power play. For starters, they actually shoot the puck! Maybe their power play is a one-trick pony. But that trick, getting passes to Alexander Ovechkin for his lethal one timer, is one of the best tricks around.
I also feel that the Capitals have an advantage between the pipes. It is not an overwhelming advantage but Braden Holtby is playing better than Islander goalie Jaroslav Halak. That’s not to say Holtby can handle the spotlight that he is about to be placed under or Jaro can’t raise his game to a new level. We have seen Halak steal series before as he carried Montreal past these very Capitals years ago.
The final advantage for the Caps is behind the bench. It is clear as day. Look at how the Capitals play for Barry Trotz. He has even found a way to get Alex Ovechkin to be more responsible in his own end without curtailing his offensive creativity. I simply feel that when the chess pieces start moving tonight, Trotz will always be on or two moves ahead of Islanders Head Coach Jack Capuano.
This isn’t the time of year for “battle… or “compete… levels. It is about systems and playing disciplined in your own end. The Isles have shown an inability to do that in the second half of the season and the coaching staff has been unable or unwilling to evolve to what the league is doing to this team. I’m tired of all the clichés and coach speak. I want to see and Isles team that can play in its own end.
With Travis Hamonic out and the availability of some of the forwards in question, I shudder to see what the line combinations will look like tonight. If history tells us anything, you get rewarded for being old and playing hard, not actually playing hard and being the best option to play.
I am not trying to pee in everyone’s cheerios this morning. I just think the Capitals are a better hockey team but that doesn’t mean the Isles can’t win this series. The Islanders have more scoring depth, especially in the bottom six forwards. Johnny Boychuk has the ability to chip in offensively and provide good coverage on Ovechkin. Nick Leddy could be an x-factor as he has game changing ability.
If the Islanders are going to win they desperately need to find success on the power play. While their penalty kill finished the season strong, the team looks lost when they are on the man advantage. If they can get that clicking, they can win some games. If Jaroslav Halak can be the best player on the ice in four of these games then the Isles will advance.
When it comes playoff time that is the one game changer. The hot goalie. I can talk about coaching, structure and special teams until I am blue in the face but a hot goalie throws all of that out the window. Halak has done it once before to the Caps. We have to beLIeve he can do it again.