Oliver Wahlstrom is called many nicknames by Islander fans: Wahl-e, Wahligator, Olly Wahly, and most importantly, The Sniper, due to his goalscoring ability. Wahlstrom has one of the best shots on the team and is amazing on the power play. The Islanders will need an offensive powerhouse like Wahlstrom in their lineup if they want to win the series against the Tampa Bay Lightning and advance to the Stanley Cup Finals.

Stanley Cup Semifinals

The Islanders are currently heading into Game 3 tied with the Lightning 1-1. Unlike the previous series that the Islanders have played in this year, this round is rather low-scoring. In the First Round, the Islanders averaged 3.5 goals per game and in the Second Round, they averaged 3.7 goals per game; however, as of the first two games in the semifinals, the Isles have averaged two goals per game.

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The decline in average goals per game is not due to a lack of effort from the Islanders. Instead, the excellent goaltending from Tampa Bay is to blame. Andrei Vasilevskiy is one of the best goalies in the league and he is extremely difficult to score on. The Vezina Trophy finalist has two shutouts and a .933 save percentage in the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Islanders need to have their best goal scorers, which includes Oliver Wahlstrom, on the ice to have a fair chance at beating the Lightning in the Stanley Cup Semifinals.

Oliver Wahlstrom

Wahlstrom is a huge offensive weapon for the New York Islanders and is great on the power play. During the regular season, 10 of Wahlstrom’s 21 points were earned on the power play. In the five playoff games that Wahlstrom played in, he scored a power-play goal and recorded two assists. He also had 11 shots on goal, averaging 2.2 per game.

Travis Zajac

If Wahlstrom were to go in the lineup, it is more than likely that Travis Zajac would be the player to come out. Zajac has filled in for Wahlstrom since he was unable to play in Game 6 against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Round 1. In nine playoff games, Zajac has only recorded one goal and two points and has had 12 shots on goal, averaging 1.3 shots per game. He has also had five giveaways throughout the three rounds. Additionally, Zajac recorded six penalty minutes and they all came in Game 2 against the Lightning.

Wahlstrom Needs to Be in the Lineup

Travis Zajac has played very well in the playoffs thus far however, he plays more defensively than offensively. Oliver Wahlstrom on the other hand plays a strong 200-foot game. He is one of the best goal scorers on the team and is a very physical player.

The Islanders have had a tough time scoring on Vasilevskiy with their current lineup. They scored on one of the seven power-plays for a .143 power-play percentage. The Isles also scored only four goals with 57 shots on goal for a .07 shooting percentage. The Islanders need to add sniper Oliver Wahlstrom to the lineup for Game 3 against the Lightning if they want to generate offense and clinch a spot in the Stanley Cup Finals.

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.