Islanders vs. Carolina: Must Win, Odds, Lineups, TV and more

Keys to the Game

Limit Turnovers

In the NHL you cannot turn the puck over. When you give NHL players the puck for free, they are going to make you pay for it.

The Islanders must limit their turnovers!

During their losing streak, the blue and orange have turned the puck over way too many times. Watch a prime example of an Islander turnover get converted into a goal by Montreal below:

If the Islanders want to have success in today’s game and want to make the playoffs, they must solve this problem.

They must not force the puck. The Isles must make simple plays today.

Physical Play

Recently, the Islanders are way to easy of a team to play against. There has been absolutely no push back from the Isles.

They need to bring back their physical play!

The Islanders need to take a page out of the Boston Bruins book. The blue and orange need everyone to play physical and not give up an inch of ice. Look how successful the Bruins are.

Watch how the defenseman on Minnesota knows Boston is going to be physical, so he rushes his pass. This leads to a turnover and one pass later the puck is in Minnesota’s net:

The simple idea that Boston are physical makes their opponents rush plays and force passes because they know they will get hit for holding onto the puck for too long.

Physical play will make the Islanders much tougher to play against and it will force turnovers that may lead to scoring chances.

The Isles must become physical and impose their game on the Hurricanes. There is no better place to start their physical game than on home ice at the Coliseum.

Physical play may make the difference in today’s game.