Fansided

Islanders Barry Trotz has perfect counter to “boring” narrative

By Michel Anderson |
UNIONDALE, NEW YORK - JUNE 19: Head coach Barry Trotz of the New York Islanders watches his team play against the Tampa Bay Lightning during the first period of Game Four of the Stanley Cup Semifinals during the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Nassau Coliseum on June 19, 2021 in Uniondale, New York. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Getty Images)
UNIONDALE, NEW YORK - JUNE 19: Head coach Barry Trotz of the New York Islanders watches his team play against the Tampa Bay Lightning during the first period of Game Four of the Stanley Cup Semifinals during the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Nassau Coliseum on June 19, 2021 in Uniondale, New York. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Getty Images)

“The New York Islanders are boring”. It’s been an ongoing narrative about this team for some time now. And while this may have been true during the regular season, it was far from the case in the playoffs.

The Islanders were the second-highest scoring team in the post-season only Tampa had more goals than the Islanders did. The Islanders were also the worst defensive teams in the playoffs with 53 goals against. When the Isles played in these playoffs goals were scored, on either side.

That’s far from boring. But it goes beyond that, as head coach Barry Trotz stated in the exit interviews.

New York Islanders aren’t a boring team

Barry Trotz was asked one final time in the 2020-21 season if his team was boring. His answer was perfect:

Barry isn’t wrong (of course), his club plays an emotional and physical style of hockey. The Islanders were third for hits during the regular season with 1,455. Only the Montreal Canadiens (1,585) and the Ottawa Senators (1,541) had more hits than the Isles.

They’re also the least penalized team in the NHL with 153 penalties taken. The Isles aren’t “gooning it up” out there, they play an honest but physical style of hockey. Hockey, after all, is a contact sport. It’s meant to be physical.

Sure, the Islanders don’t score at the same rate as the elite offensive teams in the league, but they win just as frequently. Since 2018, the Isles rank ninth in wins during the regular season and second when it comes to the playoffs.

If it’s “boring” to win hockey games, score a ton of goals when the games matter the most, to play a punishing but honest physical game, then those pushing the “boring” narrative just can’t be helped. They’ll take that narrative to the grave without actually watching an Islanders game to discover it’s 100% false.

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