The 2023-24 New York Islanders have had issues across their roster. From multiple losing streaks to the league-leading 14 overtime/shootout losses, there is a lot to be upset about. In net, the team ranks in the bottom 10 in goals against per game with 3.33, contrary to last season’s top-five finish. However, are these struggles the fault of their goaltending or is it a larger issue?
Islanders’ Defensive Struggles
This season, the team has lost Adam Pelech, Ryan Pulock , Scott Mayfield, and Sebastian Aho to injuries, each for various extended periods. As well, the team underwent a coaching change and hired Patrick Roy in January. While there are excuses to be made, the core is very similar to the one that reached the Eastern Conference Final in back-to-back seasons a few years ago, so they should be performing better than they are.
With Ilya Sorokin in net, the team has given up 127.54 expected goals, the second-highest of any goaltender this season (Alexander Georgiev, 138.16), according to MoneyPuck. Despite the workload, he still has 3.5 goals saved above expected (GSAx). However, things change dramatically on the penalty kill.
Islanders’ Penalty Kill Kills
There is no hiding how bad the Islanders’ penalty kill has been this season. The team ranks dead last in the NHL with a 71.51 success rate. This performance can be attributed to many factors, such as the poor scheme that leaves the slot continuously open, the lackluster positioning by the defenders that screens their own goaltender while leaving one-timers from the hash-marks open, or having the 10th most expected goals against while also spending the sixth-least amount of time on the penalty kill.
While Sorokin has a -6.7 GSAx on the penalty kill, being one of the most continuously overworked goaltenders in the NHL does not help his performance. He ranks seventh in the league in expected goals against on the penalty kill, and he is regularly forced to kill off penalties late in games due to the team’s lack of discipline. It is hard to pinpoint all of the reasons for the penalty kill struggles, but Sorokin is the last person to blame. While his numbers are bad, the skaters in front of him have been considerably worse.
Islanders Cannot Hold a Lead
At this point, it has become a joke that the Islanders cannot hold onto a lead. So far, the team has blown 18 leads in the third period, most recently giving up two goals in the final five minutes to the New York Rangers in the Stadium Series matchup.
While one game cannot encapsulate an entire season, this outdoor contest did a pretty good job. Late in the game, the Islanders took multiple penalties. On Mika Zibenejad’s game-tying goal, he sat just below the hash marks before ringing one bar down. While there was great passing by the Rangers, the Islanders had chances to clear the puck but went for the big plays that caused turnovers. The continued pressure had them chasing the puck and losing positioning, resulting in the unaccounted-for Zibenejad.
Any other blown lead this season will show multiple Islanders get impatient and play outside the system. On the overtime goal, the Islanders gained possession off the faceoff before Noah Dobson attempted a pass across the ice in front of the net with Artemi Panarin pressing. Panarin knocked the puck down, navigated two Islanders defenders, and beat Sorokin to secure the win.
While this is by no means calling out Dobson, who has had an incredible season, it epitomizes the 2023-24 Islanders. At their best, they can compete against anyone, but at their worst can lose to anyone. The losses are not any one individual’s fault, but rather the team as a whole. While Scott Mayfield has been getting flamed on social media by Islanders fans since his six penalty minutes in the Stadium Series, many other Islanders have taken late-game penalties that have led to goals or made costly mistakes that easily could have been avoided.
The team’s loss of motivation when things get hard shows a deeper issue within the club, not a lack of focus or ability from Sorokin. In last night’s game (Feb. 22) against the St Louis Blues, the Islanders gave up three goals in under a minute; two came from right in front of the net and one from the hash marks. Giving up these chances consecutively is not a coincidence, but rather another example of the group’s immaturity when facing adversity.
The Islanders’ lack of success can be attributed to countless other factors before pitting the blame on Sorokin. With upcoming games against top teams such as the Dallas Stars, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Boston Bruins, the team will need to be more disciplined and motivated if they want to make the playoffs. The abilities of the roster are undeniable, and there is reason to believe that holding onto a few more leads and fixing small defensive blunders is all it will take to get them to the top of the standings.
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