New York Islanders Win First Game of 2019 Preseason (Highlights)

The New York Islanders started the 2019 preseason on the right foot with a 3-1 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on the road.

The New York Islanders starting the 2019 preseason on the right foot with a 3-1 win over the Philadelphia Flyers. Again, it was a preseason game. The win means about as much as that intro to University course you had to take in your first year.

Yeah, we all know never cite Wikipedia, show up on time, and don’t hand things in with no name on them. We get it, teach.

What mattered today is that hockey is back. It may not be the hyper-competitive hockey we see in the regular season. But guys are still out there competing for spots on the roster.

For the New York Islanders, the preseason is supposed to help the coaching staff and management to see that the defensive fundamentals are still intact and then to see if they can generate more offense.

Mission Accomplished

The defensive structure was there for the Islanders. The Trotzian system looked alive and well, even for a backline that was led by NHL regulars such as Scott Mayfield and Thomas Hickey.

The Islanders were outshot 26-16 with the goalies – Semyon Varlamov and Christopher Gibson – stopping 25 of those shots for a joint 0.961SV% on the night.

The Islanders gave few chances to the Flyers within the slot, and when those chance inevitably came, the Isles goalies were there to make a stop. None better than this stop on James Van Riemsdyk by Christopher Gibson when the Isles were only ahead by one.

In terms of offense, the Islanders didn’t get much from NHL regulars such as Anthony Beauvillier. A few times Beau found himself open but missed his opportunities. One particular opportunity was when Josh Ho-Sang found Beau with a cross-slot pass, only for Beauvillier to whiff on the shot.

But with goals from defensemen Thomas Hickey and

Luca Sbisa

, followed by an empty-net goal by Erik Brown. The Islanders were able to come away with the victory.

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The New York Islanders are right back in action tomorrow with a date against the Philadelphia Flyers, this time at the Nassau Coliseum. And perhaps featuring players like Mathew Barzal, Oliver Wahlstrom, and Noah Dobson.