Islanders: Three Takeaways from 2-1 Loss as Pittsburgh Season Series Ends

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Mar 29, 2021; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; The Pittsburgh Penguins celebrate after a goal by right wing Anthony Angello (57) as New York Islanders goaltender Semyon Varlamov (40) retrieves the puck from the net during the first period at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports /

The New York Islanders played well for the better part of Monday’s game, but another poor first period cost them in the 2-1 loss.

I talked on Sunday about the need for the New York Islanders to start games on time, especially against competition like the Pittsburgh Penguins. That isn’t what happened on Monday night at PPG Paints Arena, as the Islanders no-showed their first period with the Penguins, and again surrendered two opening frame goals. Eventually losing 2-1 to close out the season series.

Here are three takeaways from a much better performance than Saturday’s, but still not one to necessarily be proud of.

1. First Period Mistakes Cost Islanders Again

As I said, we went over the Islanders struggles in Saturday’s first period, and in the majority of other recent first periods, in Sunday’s three takeaways. The Islanders have now allowed the first goal of a game in six of their last seven outings.

I’ve already pointed out why that’s a problem, besides the obvious reason that you’re now playing from behind, it also gets back to the Islanders defense-first style. Their system is not built for chasing games from behind. The Islanders are a team who are best when jumping out to a multi-goal lead early and coasting the rest of the way through regulation.

Monday’s opening frame was decidedly worse than Saturday’s by pretty much every metric. While Saturday saw some costly errors ruin what was otherwise a fairly decent period, Monday’s entire first 20 was a mess from an Islanders perspective.

Take Anthony Angello’s goal to open the scoring four and a half minutes in. The Penguins only found themselves on the power-play because Ross Johnston immediately took a penalty on his first shift back in action since January. Then, while on the PK, Scott Mayfield chases Penguins defenseman John Marino behind the Islanders net.

Marino leaves a pass at the doorstep for Angello, who punches it home, and the Penguins are up 1-0 already off of two costly errors only a few minutes into regulation.

Later, with a minute and a half left in the period, the Islanders were caught in another bad line change, the same scenario as in last game’s second goal. It again led to a goal in this game, as the Penguins Jared McCann got behind his defender in front of the net and redirected a puck home for a 2-0 lead.

Whatever is happening on these momentary lapses in focus, it needs to be changed in a hurry. The Islanders are now 5-4-0 without captain Anders Lee in the lineup and have lost possession of second place in the division thanks to a sloppy two-game set in Pittsburgh.

I love Barry Trotz, but it’s the coach’s job to get these slow starts sorted, especially when twice in consecutive games a bad line change has resulted in a goal. I don’t doubt Trotz’s ability to do so, but to this point, we just haven’t seen any improvements from the Islanders over the last few games, and the playoff race has heated up in a big way thanks to Pittsburgh’s outstanding month of March.

Leo Komarov #47 of the New York Islanders. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

2. The Top-Line Winger Leo Komarov Experiment Should’ve Ended Already

Anders Lee’s injury was always going to be a big hole to fill in the Islanders top-six. I must admit though, I never really fully appreciated how good of a play-driver Lee was. Until now, that is, when the effects of Leo Komarov playing in Lee’s top-line left wing spot alongside Mat Barzal and Jordan Eberle have borne themselves out over a several-game span.

The Komarov line one experiment should’ve ended already. The Islanders top line has not looked the same since Lee went down, but it’s gotten worse and worse since Komarov replaced Kieffer Bellows in that spot.

Mat Barzal, an elite play-driver over the course of his career, has spent far too much time hemmed in his own end since the switch to Leo as his linemate. You could argue that Barzal needs to up his game to elevate Leo, as Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby, and other elite centers do for their linemates. But Barzal hasn’t been able to do that with Komarov, and his numbers have suffered for it.

I’ve seen a few odd takes on Twitter about how Barzal’s performance was already sagging prior to Lee’s injury and Leo’s inclusion on the line. That narrative isn’t backed by any metrics that I’ve seen in checking back through his numbers from games prior to Komarov’s first line promotion, or before Lee’s injury.

Digging back into late February in Natural Stat Trick’s game archives, I didn’t find a single game in which Barzal sported a 5v5 CF% or xGF% lower than 50%. Post-Lee injury, only one game with Bellows as the 1LW saw the Islanders accrue fewer than 50% of 5v5 expected goals with Barzal on the ice, that was March 18, in a 4-3 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers.

Since Komarov moved up to the 1LW spot, the Islanders have less than 50% of xG with Barzal on-ice at 5v5 in three out of five games.

I looked for any metrics showing a trending decline in Barzal’s 5v5 performance prior to Lee’s absence and post-Leo’s first line debut, and I can’t find any. Maybe the eye test could reveal some? If so, I haven’t noticed them in real-time.

The problem isn’t Barzal hasn’t been good enough. The problem is Barzal hasn’t been good enough to elevate Leo Komarov as a linemate, there’s a big distinction there.

Kyle Palmieri #21 of the New Jersey Devils. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

3. Speculating About Potential Islanders Trade Targets

This Islanders roster isn’t good enough to win a championship as currently constructed, and it needs additions. That was true before the Lee injury, and it is doubly so now.

All around the league, interest in trades is beginning to spike as we inch closer to the NHL Trade Deadline on April 12. Other contenders are seeking to add to their rosters in an effort to push them over the top, and lesser teams are scratching players with trade value.

Now, I don’t have any sources inside the NHL, and I don’t claim to. This is strictly speculation, but these are two targets I’d like to see the Islanders inquire about.

Kyle Palmieri, a long-time New Jersey Devil, has been a name on many Islanders fans’ lips recently. Palmieri’s 12.99 iFF/60, essentially how many unblocked shot attempts he registers over 60 minutes, is second-best among Devils forwards this season.

He’s shooting at a pretty low 8.8% this season, and his goal-scoring totals have suffered from that, but his offensive play-driving is still on an upward trajectory in 2020-21, according to JFresh Hockey, and that’s on a very underpowered Devils 5v5 offense.

Palmieri’s making $4.650 million in 2020-21, and his contract expires at season’s end, meaning the Islanders could still afford to add more after acquiring him, and it won’t cause management any undue headaches with next season’s flat salary cap

Mike Hoffman was scratched by the St. Louis Blues on Sunday, and there has been speculation about whether or not Hoffman is a bad fit with his new team. According to Evolving-Hockey, Hoffman’s iFF/60 is third-highest among Blues forwards at 10.63. That number would also be third-highest among Islanders forwards if you don’t count the injured Anders Lee.

Hoffman is playing on a one-year, $4 million deal with the Blues, so the Islanders could theoretically afford him, plus another addition to the team, like with Palmieri.

These are just a couple of my picks for an Islanders trade target. They’re cheap, on expiring contracts, bring offense with good shots and high shot attempt totals, and could potentially be available, given what we’ve seen from them and their teams this season.

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