The New York Islanders’ power-play has excelled this year, and there is no better display of its dominance than its performance against Pittsburgh over the weekend. New York went 4/6 on the man advantage in two games against the Penguins. With eight goals in his last ten games, Jean-Gabriel Pageau is on a hot streak of his own, especially on the power-play. These two hot streaks continued on Sunday, thanks to Pageau’s goal in the second period of the Islanders’ 2-0 victory over the Penguins. Let’s break it down.

Pageau’s goal represents the direct result of a well-run power-play. Nick Leddy dished the puck back-and-forth with Josh Bailey before sending a pass to Oliver Wahlstrom, who faked a one-timer, distracting the defense from stopping his next move. Wahlstrom then sent a seam pass to Bailey who walked down the wall and found Pageau in the slot for a one-timer that fooled Casey DeSmith. The Islanders’ quick passing pulled Pittsburgh’s penalty-killers out of position and granted Pageau enough time to get off a good shot, one that ultimately found the back of the net.

One important feature to note is the Islanders’ power-play setup. The umbrella, or 1-3-1, features a point man (Leddy), two triggermen on the sidewalls (Bailey and Wahlstrom), a bumper player in the slot (Pageau) and a fifth forward to screen the goaltender (Brock Nelson). Most teams use the diamond to defend this setup, a format that puts one player on the point man, two players who can take away the middle of the ice, including the sidewalls and bumper, and one player in front of the net to battle the goaltender’s screen. Pittsburgh played more of a rotation, with Bryan Rust’s following the puck as it moved up high, Sidney Crosby’s watching Pageau and Bailey — the player with a potential pass to Pageau — Cody Ceci’s watching Wahlstrom and Kris Letang on Nelson in front of the net. This system tried to limit shots from Wahlstrom and Pageau, given Pageau’s effective positioning in the slot and Wahlstrom’s previously established power-play dominance.

After repeatedly passing with Bailey, Leddy switched things up, going to Wahlstrom on the near wall. The young winger’s fake shot caused Ceci to turn to try and block the potential shot. With some time and space from Ceci’s block attempt, Wahlstrom looked off Leddy at the point, prompting Rust to put his stick in that lane. Instead of passing to Leddy, Wahlstrom zipped a pass over to Bailey on the opposite wall.

When Bailey got the puck, Crosby immediately put his stick in the lane between Bailey and Leddy to try and keep the power-play quarterback out of the play. With Crosby’s stick to his right, Bailey walked down the wall and fired a pass on Crosby’s left to Pageau in the slot.

Rust got to Pageau at the same time the puck did, and he got his stick on the shot. Unfortunately for the Penguins, the shot knocked Rust’s stick out of his hands, changing the puck’s direction just enough to throw off DeSmith.

Wahlstrom continues to be a force on the power-play, with a goal and an assist on the man advantage in the game. Thanks to Jean-Gabriel Pageau and company, the Islanders’ power-play — once a glaring weakness — has become an invaluable strength.

John Smark