Carolina Hurricanes Division Rivals: New York Islanders Look to Take Next Step
By Zeke Lukow
Leading up to the season we are going to have a Metropolitan Division Season projection series. We will be starting with the last place team and finish with the Carolina Hurricanes. Today we will be covering the New York Islanders
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Head Coach: Jack Capuano (6th year with the team)
2014-2015 Record: 27-28-7
2014-2015 Result: 3rd in the Metro, 10th Overall (lost 1st round)
The 2014-2015 season marked the last season at the Nassau Coliseum for the New York Islanders. They were able to give the stadium a good send off by making the playoffs and getting home ice in the first round. Unfortunately their run was brief and came to an end in the first round when they were bested by the Caps in seven games.
Despite the early exit in the playoffs the 2014-2015 season can be considered a success for the Islanders. After missing the playoffs in the previous season, they proved to be one of the best teams in the league. The Hurricanes fell to the same fate as most of the league and went 1-3 last season.
The largest success story for the New York Islanders has to be John Tavares who was second in total points only behind Jamie Benn. Tavares was more than a point per game performer last year and put up 86 points (38g, 48a) in 82 games.
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Though the Islanders had a lethal offense, defense let them down. Jaroslav Halak had a down year for his standards only posting a .914 SV% and 2.43GAA, both 23rd best in the NHL. Goaltending also suffered was with the backups. They used 3 separate backups throughout the season, none posted a .900 SV% or a GAA below 2.50.
In comparison to the Islanders numbers, the Carolina Hurricanes only had 2 scorers with over 40 points. On the Goaltending front, Cam Ward posted a .910 SV% and a 2.40 GAA and Khudobin posted a .900 SV% and a 2.72 GAA.
Key Additions: Thomas Greiss (Free Agency)
Thomas Greiss was signed by the Islanders for 2 years, $3mil AAV from the Pittsburgh Penguins. The 6’1” goaltender won 9 games last year and posted a GAA of .908. He has proven to be a reliable backup goaltender in the NHL. Greiss is now with his fourth NHL team and has posted career totals of a .913 SV% and a GAA of 2.59 in 89 games played.
Greiss also has international experience, which is important because he is used to playing in clutch scenarios. This experience helps Greiss be able to play one off games and perform well. he should be able to come in and steal a couple games from capable teams.
Key Losses: Michal Neuvirth (Free Agency)
Michal Neuvirth was acquired by the New York Islanders at the trade deadline from the Sabres. Neuvirth was thought to be a moderate upgrade for the backup goalie position for the Islanders at mid year. He only started 5 games with one win; his loss will not be as detrimental with the signing of Greiss.
Depth Chart:
Anders Lee – John Tavares – Kyle Okposo
Nikolay Kulemin – Frans Nielson – Ryan Strome
Matt Martin – Mikhail Grabovski – Josh Bailey
Taylor Beck – Casey Cizikas – Cal Clutterbuck
Johnny Boychuk – Travis Hamonic
Nick Leddy – Calvin de Haan
Thomas Hickey – Brian Strait
Jaroslav Halak
Thomas Greiss
2015-2016 Outlook
The Islanders still have John Tavares, so their offense will continue to produce. Tavares was only outscored by one player last year, and that was Art Ross Trophy winner Jamie Benn. There is no reason to think that he would have a decrease in production this year.
The most incredible stat for the Islanders may be that only one person had less than a 50% CF%, Brian Strait. Everyone else on the team had more meaningful possession in the offensive zone than the defensive zone.
These numbers are important because scoring will come with good possession. Even their fourth line was spending more time in the offensive zone than the defensive zone. If the Islanders can keep up these kinds of possession numbers they can easily win a playoff spot in the Metropolitan division.
Carolina Hurricanes
There are still some issues with the Islanders, they ranked 12th in the league in GF% during the 2014-2015 season. If they want to improve in the standings this year, they will need more production from 5 on 5 play.
The most interesting position to watch this year for the Islanders will be goaltending. They will need Griess to be able to step up and take some of the workload off of Halak. If Griess can step up and win some games, it can push the Islanders to the next level.
Where the Islanders have an advantage over other teams is overall depth. Their top 4 defensemen are very capable, and still produce.
With incredible possession, a high octane offense, and solid defense, I expect the Islanders to come in 4th place in the Metropolitan division. I think they will be neck and neck with the Penguins for 4th place in the Metro, but it will come down to defense. The Islanders will be able to keep up with the Penguins offense, but will be more defensively sound.