The New York Islanders advanced in the playoffs after beating the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 6 in the first round. While overall, the Islanders played very well, they had a few games that were tough to watch.  The Isles will need to clean up their game and improve on some fundamental skills if they want to have a chance at winning the Stanley Cup. In no particular order, listed below are five of the most important takeaways from the series against Pittsburgh.

1. Shoot the Puck More

The Islanders need to get more pucks to the net if they want to succeed in the playoffs. In the first round, the Islanders were outshot by Pittsburgh 231-187. The Penguins had 44 more shots on goal. Out of the six games played, the Isles only outshot the Pens in one game (30-27).

In an interview after Game 5, Barry Trotz was asked what he said in the locker room between the first and second overtime.

“I just said ‘listen, dig in, play the right way, and there’s not a bad shot,'” Trotz said.

There’s no harm in getting pucks to the net. If it doesn’t go in, there’s always the opportunity for a rebound or a faceoff in the offensive zone if the goalie covers the puck.

2. Complete Connecting Passes

The Islanders are not the best team when it comes to passing. They tend to make a lot of blind passes and drop passes that result in turnovers. In Game 3, the Penguins had only four giveaways while the Islanders had 14. It is extremely important, especially in the playoffs, to not give the other team room to make plays and score.

Turnovers can be prevented by communicating with one another on the ice and making sure that the player receiving the pass is ready. With a blind pass, there is neither of those things, just the hope that your teammate will get the puck. While completing connecting passes is easier said than done, it is still a fundamental skill to the sport and the Islanders need to improve it.

3. Be Selfish

Throughout the first round, many Islanders entered the zone with a great scoring opportunity. However, instead of taking advantage of it, they would skate around and wait for their linemates. To reiterate what Trotz said, there’s no bad shot. The Isles should be seizing every opportunity they get to score, especially when they have a breakaway.

Mathew Barzal is a perfect example of someone who needs to get more shots on goal. He has had several golden opportunities throughout the playoffs, yet he has scored no goals. Every time Barzal entered the zone in the first round, he skated around and looked for a pass. By waiting for his teammates, it gave the Penguins time to come back to play defense, taking away Barzal’s opportunity.

4. Dump the Puck in Less

When the Islanders dump the puck into the offensive zone, it is usually to get a change or to simply just get the puck near the net. In many situations, it is more effective if the Islanders carry the puck in so that they could maintain control of it and reduce the chance of a turnover.

5. Don’t Wait Until the Third Period

While it’s great that the Islanders can make great comebacks in the third period, they should not rely on that to win games. Instead, they should come out strong and play the best that they can for all 60 minutes.

In the first round, the Isles relied solely on a strong third period in two games. In Game 3, the Islanders scored one goal throughout the first two periods but then scored three in the third. By the end of the second period, they had 17 shots on goal. Meanwhile, they had 13 in the third period alone. Although the Islanders did make a comeback and played great in the third period, Pittsburgh won the game 5-4.

The Isles won Game 5 3-2 in double overtime; however, they were severely outplayed in the first two periods. The Penguins outshot the Islanders 50-28, registering nearly double the amount of shots on goal. In the second period, Pittsburgh recorded five-times more shots on goal than the Islanders. It wasn’t until the third period that the teams started having a similar number of recorded shots. The Islanders need to play a 60-minute game.

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Moving Forward

The Islanders are currently in the second round playing the Boston Bruins. The series is tied at one. The Bruins are a very talented, fast and physical team. The Islanders cannot afford to make sloppy mistakes or come out looking slow. They need to play Islanders hockey for all three periods and improve their weak spots from the previous games if they want to succeed in the playoffs.

Maisy Healy

I am a huge Islanders fan and love spreading my passion for the team here at Drive4Five.  Along with writing, I also co-manage the Drive4Five TikTok and Facebook accounts.