New York Islanders Must Solve Road Woes Immediately

The New York Islanders are coming off of a game where they were embarrassed by the Minnesota Wild. The Islanders lost 6-4 and fall to 2-4-0 on the road. They need to be better away from home.

The New York Islanders power play was again the detriment against the Wild. They were 0/5 on the power play and gave up two shorthanded goals.

The Isles were coming off a nice three-game win streak. They beat the Rangers on the road and then beat both the Sharks and Coyotes at home. On the season they are 3-0-1 at home and 2-4-0 on the road.

Their next game is in Nashville against the Predators Saturday night. If the Islanders don’t manage to get a point in Nashville they’ll negate most of the success from their most recent homestand. It’s early on but the Isles need to start playing better on the road.

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Last year they finished 19-17-5 on the road and missed the playoffs by a single point. In 2015-2016 they finished 20-16-5 and made the playoffs. The records were very similar, but the two extra points would have been huge for them last season. They have to nip their road struggles in the bud. Nashville will be a good test.

Luckily the Minnesota debacle is only one game. Though they looked awful the Isles can change the road narrative with a good effort against the Predators.

Turning it Around

The Islanders two wins on the road this year have come against the Sharks and Rangers. The Rangers game went into a shootout but to the Islanders credit, they did manage to win that one.

If you take away opening night’s 5-0 loss to the Blue Jackets the Islanders have played close games on the road. In fact, the two-goal loss margin is the largest they’ve had this season.

This means they’re not too far off. If they are able to clean some things up they should be able to find themselves in the win column. You’ll often hear color commentator Butch Goring talk about winning on the road means simplifying the game.

That’s exactly what the Islanders need to do. Too often this season the Islanders can be accused of trying too hard to make a play rather than just get the puck on net.

Next: Cal Clutterbuck on Power Play

The Islanders will just need to play smarter on the road. Chip and chase and then be able to capitalize on the opportunities presented during the game. And it starts against the Stanley Cup runners-up from last season.