Islanders vs Capitals Game 2 Preview: What Do the Writers Think?
The Islanders have defeated the Capitals after a late-game surge, coming back from a 2-0 deficit to score four unanswered goals. After the two teams’ bad blood being evidenced by the hard-hitting game throughout, will the Islanders be able to repeat their dominance before and after the whistle? Here’s what our writers have to say about the rest of the series.
Shawn D’Aversa: Islanders 4-2 Capitals
Will Wiegelman: Islanders 4-3 Capitals
That game was demoralizing for the Caps. Brayden Holtby was awful and Washington looked terrible in the 3rd period. Lee’s controversial hit on Backstrom seems to have rattled them. Tom Wilson will be easy bait for bad penalties for the rest of the series. Washington scored 2 power play goals in game 1, proving the need for the Isles to stay out of the box.
Matthew Page: Islanders 4-3 Capitals
The Islanders took the game away from Washington after falling behind 2-0. The Capitals will have a lot to play for in order to avoid falling down two games in the series, and they will be without Nicklas Backstrom for the game. However, I think Todd Reirden got his message across, and someone will step up in Backstrom’s absence to even the series.
David Lazar: Islanders 4-3 Capitals
The Islanders found a way to win in Game 1. It is a very good sign that they won a game where they took seven penalties and did not play their best hockey for 39 minutes. The penalty kill was decent besides two fluke goals. The offense looked great., and during five-on-five play the Islanders dominated. With a performance like that behind them, New York has to be favored in this series, but Washington will put up a fight. I think the Capitals will win Game 2, but the Islanders will win the series.
Aidan Resnick: Islanders 4-2 Capitals
Winning a playoff series is difficult, but winning a playoff series without your starting goaltender is a much tougher task. The loss of Ilya Samsonov and the consequent reliance on Braden Holtby presents a weakness, as Samsonov’s production was above replacement-level this season, while Holtby’s production was far below replacement-level this season. Since Barry Trotz took over, the Islanders have portrayed an elite defensive structure with offensive upside; although the Islanders’ offense may struggle at times, they likely will look to exploit the goaltending weakness of the Capitals. Ultimately, despite the Capitals’ offensive potential at any given moment, their defense and goaltending will make far too many mistakes on which the Islanders could capitalize, advancing the Islanders to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Ethan Halle: Islanders 4-3 Capitals
The Islanders are fully healthy and dangerous. They have the right structure to potentially take them far. Throughout the round robin, the Capitals struggled a bit; Lars Eller is out for game 1 and John Carlson is a game time decision. The Islanders’ style of play is perfect to counter the offense of the Capitals.
