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Who Was The Islanders Postseason MVP?

Who Was The Islanders Postseason MVP?
John Smark Editorials

After a historic ten-game point streak highlighting their dominance in the shortened NHL season, The Islanders were playoff bound. After defeating the Florida Panthers in the qualifying round, they came in as the 6th seed, taking on the Washington Capitals. With pristine passing and electrifying goals the Isles advanced. Then after defeating the Flyers in 7 games, they were unfortunately eliminated by the Stanley-Cup winning Tampa Bay Lightning. Throughout their journey, three main players stood out that deserve some extra recognition, and could be named the MVP of the playoffs for the Islanders.

Player One: Anders Lee

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 08: Anders Lee #27 of the New York Islanders scores a powerplay goal at 14:34 of the second period against the San Jose Sharks at the Barclays Center on October 08, 2018 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

Coming off a pretty average 2019-2020 season, Anders Lee stepped up big time in the playoffs. As the main offensive target for Mat Barzal on the first line and the force in screening the opposing goalie’s vision, he racked up 11 points in the 22 total games. What makes Anders stand out from the rest is his Individual Expected Goals Created (ixG). He leads the team with 8.43 individual expected goals, which shows his offensive dominance. On both the power play and first line, he created opportunities for Barzal, which helped the Islanders succeed. 

Player Two: Josh Bailey

Aug 12, 2020; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; New York Islanders right wing Josh Bailey (12) celebrates with Islanders center Brock Nelson (29) after scoring a goal against the Washington Capitals in the third period in game one of the first round of the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports

The longest-tenured Islander had a fantastic postseason, was on the watch for the Conn Smythe Trophy, and has been considered the MVP of the playoffs for the Islanders. As part of the second line with Anthony Beauvilier and Brock Nelson, Josh Bailey was responsible for most of the scoring in the games. Although he only had two goals, he led the team in assists, and most importantly, he led the team in primary assists with 13, while Mat Barzal was in second with six. He was responsible for the offensive puck possession which led to potential scoring chances.

Player Three: Semyon Varlamov

GLENDALE, ARIZONA – FEBRUARY 17: Goaltender Semyon Varlamov #40 of the New York Islanders in action during the NHL game against the Arizona Coyotes at Gila River Arena on February 17, 2020 in Glendale, Arizona. The Coyotes defeated the Islanders 2-1. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

This past season, the Islanders were bottom-six in goals for per 60 (GF/60), yet still dominated, which can be attributed to the goalie tandem of Semyon Varlamov and Thomas Greiss. Varlamov was a top-25 goaltender in terms of Goals Saved Above Expected (GSAx) and continued his success in the postseason with 6.52 goals saved above expected. His success lied in coming up with clutch saves to keep the Islanders in tight games. With three more years on his contract and Ilya Sorokin on the way, the Islanders’ future in goal looks bright.

It’s truly difficult to pick an MVP for the Islanders postseason, and three players mentioned above are the top candidates. Other candidates include Anthony Beauvilier and trade deadline acquisition, Jean-Gabriel Pageau. The Islanders will now use this momentum to create another postseason run next season.

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