Islanders lessons learned from another failed semi-final series

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Jean-Gabriel Pageau #44 of the New York Islanders. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /

With the semi-final series against the Tampa Bay Lightning over, what can we learn about the New York Islanders?

The New York Islanders took a step forward from last year. Instead of losing in six games in the third round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, they lost in seven games this time. I know one game may not seem much better, but it is quite literally one step in the right direction.

And that’s important.

Remember, before Lou Lamoriello (and Barry Trotz) took over, the Islanders were regressing. They went from playing in the second round, to barely missing the playoffs, and then being well out of it in 2017-18. Maybe I’m just grasping at any positive angle I can right now, but I feel like that one extra win is a bigger deal than it’s currently being made out to be.

The series loss is still fresh, it still kind of hurts, but while it’s still fresh enough to remember, let’s look at what the Islanders can learn about themselves from this semi-final.

Leaning on Pageau a lot

If for some reason you aren’t yet convinced the New York Islanders really like Jean-Gabriel Pageau and maybe rely on him too much then this series should help convince you.

Pageau was clearly injured in this series, how he was injured or even what was injured doesn’t really matter. Pageau wasn’t at 100% in this series and it significantly messed with the Islanders depth.

His ice time went from an average of 17:56 vs the Penguins and 18:08 against Boston to 15:41 against Tampa in this series. Barry Trotz couldn’t rely on Pageau as he had thought the rest of the playoffs.

The Isles third line was very ineffective without a 100% Pageau. Which allowed the Lightning’s depth to find more space and opportunities against the Isles. It’s clear Barry Trotz leans on Pageau a lot. And it makes sense, he’s a great player to have. He’s useful in any situation. But wen

Brayden Point #21 of the Tampa Bay Lightning is congratulated by Steven Stamkos #91 after scoring a goal past Semyon Varlamov #40 of the New York Islanders. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

Can’t Gift Them A Game

This was the second year in a row where the Islanders faced the Tampa Bay Lightning in the third round, and for the second year in a row, they gifted them a game.

That 8-0 drubbing in Game 5 was a big loss for a number of reasons. But the main reason, for me, is how the Islanders could absolutely mail in a performance in the semi-finals. How does that happen exactly? How do 20 skaters fail to show up for a critical game during the Stanley Cup playoffs?

I often talk about how the playoffs are about marginal advantages. Teams are so closely matched at this point of the tournament that gaining any minor advantage can turn the tides in a game and a series.

Gifting the Tampa Bay Lightning a game isn’t a minor advantage it’s a massive edge.

Not only do they get a free win in the best of seven series, but they get a huge confidence boost. Sure, Tampa lost Game 6, but it was close.

Which you’d think the Isles would have learned not to gift the Bolts a game after their 8-2 loss in Game 1in the Edmonton bubble last year. I understand the circumstances were different in 2020 than they were in 2021, but the Islanders felt that the schedule essentially gifted the Lightning that game (it did). So why gift them a free one this time?

We’ve seen the Isles drift in and out of games during the season with wild swings in their performance. That same inconsistency materialized in the semi-finals. To push their way to the Stanley Cup Finals, they’ll have to find a way to stay consistent.

Mathew Barzal #13, Ryan Pulock #6 and Matt Martin #17 of the New York Islanders. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /

Not There…yet

This team is still making mistakes a championship-caliber team shouldn’t be making:

Allowing the Lightning to score a shorthanded goal in Game 7 still bothers me. The Isles were the only team to have not allowed a short-handed goal against through the regular season and playoffs (before Game 7).

The one time they allowed one was in Game 7 of all places. With the season on the line, they did the one thing they knew how to do. It was an absolutely mental lapse from Pulock, Bailey, Palmieri. Something championship-caliber teams don’t do.

Why Barry Trotz waited until he was forced to play Kyle Palmieri next to Mathew Barzal is beyond me. I get why he didn’t do it against Boston, that third line was too good to break up. But with Pageau hurt that third line wasn’t very effective. That effectively meant two of the Isles three scoring lines were handicapped, and they didn’t have to be.

The power play was atrocious the entire post-season (except that one game where they went 3/4 against Boston). That’s not necessarily a surprise, the PP has been bad for years. But with the personnel at their disposal (even with Lee out), it should have been more of a factor.

All of these mistakes can be fixed going forward and into the 2021-22 season. The window hasn’t closed on this team.

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