3 reasons why the Islanders are off to a disappointing start to the season – The Hockey Writers – New York Islanders

Things are brewing for the New York Islanders, and they’re not pleasant. Scoring has been an issue for this organization for years, but a dismal start to the season highlighted new problems that underscored the poor quality on the ice. While many are focusing on the positives, the Islanders already have some screaming questions heading into the 2025-26 season, and the first week of the season hasn’t been easy for head coach Patrick Roy and his team.

score

This isn’t new, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a problem. The Islanders are averaging 2.75 goals per game through four games. This is not good enough. Eleven goals in four games, a rate that puts them in the bottom half of the league for goals scored. This has been an issue for a long time, but it highlights the 1-3-0 start the Islanders are experiencing heading into the 2025-26 season.

Only eight forwards scored. That’s two forwards scoring per game. This means that to ensure an even win, Ilya Sorokin must allow a goal or shut it out. Even for a goaltender as good as Sorokin, that’s a ridiculous ask. If the islanders cannot find a solution, this will be the reason for their sinking. You could argue the Islanders played three good teams in four games, so that doesn’t do a fair reflection of their scoring prowess. In such a small sample size, this is a fair and valid point, but the history of these scoring issues does not lend itself to a quick resolution.

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There’s reason to think the Islanders have had bad luck with the puck. They shot 8.3% from the field through four games. Even last season, the Islanders shot 9.6 percent from the field, so that number will go up. The field goal percentage may reflect the quality goaltending the Islanders face, but it’s not a statistic that absolves the organization of responsibility. The goal is to compete, and to do that the Islanders must score against the NHL’s top goaltenders.

goalkeeper

I say Sorokin is a good goaltender, and that’s generally true. However, the Russian goalkeeper’s performance was terrible. He had a save percentage of .854 in 82 shots, 12 goals. Then again, three games isn’t enough to suggest he’s going to have a bad season. We’ve seen him wake up in the past and remember he could compete for the Vezina Trophy as the league’s best goaltender, but a brutal start to the season left him needing to catch up quickly.

According to Moneypuck, Sorokin has an expected goals against average (xGA) of 10.33. We’ll find out what that means from the players ahead of him, but it leaves the Russian with a -1.7 goals saved above expected (GSAx). When a team’s offense struggles, the stat line has to change. Without getting into the specifics of his contract, the Islanders need him to get better. He should be one of the best netminders in the NHL. He needs to steal games when the Islanders aren’t firing.

Is it too early in the season to look at goalie averages? Honestly, probably yes. So, let’s look at simple statistics. Twelve goals on 82 shots isn’t good enough, but forget that for now. He averages 4.00 goals per game. If the Islanders had to score five points to win, they would be at the bottom of the standings. No team in the league has been able to get out of such deep trouble.

punishment killing fight

The Islanders defense has struggled, but specifically the penalty kill. The kill rate is only 71.4%, ranking among the bottom seven in the league. When you can’t score and can’t eliminate penalties, winning becomes more difficult. The Islanders, in particular, rank 11th among NHL teams in penalty minutes despite playing fewer games than almost every other team. It’s a sign of indiscipline, and it’s exactly what the Islanders are trying to avoid.

With the roster changing over the summer, it will take time for Patrick Roy to adapt to his style of play. This is not a problem that can be solved overnight. These growing pains will continue in all formats of the game, but when one guy goes down, that shortcoming bites the team. The Islanders’ strong defense has traditionally kept them afloat in worst-case scenarios, but the start of the season has challenged that.

As for what comes next, the schedule waits. Best deodorant wins. As the games continue, breaking the team’s goose egg in the standings will begin to cover up the ax wounds. It’s still early days to overcome the early-season struggles. However, a turnaround must happen quickly. There are too many examples of teams struggling with their seasons because of poor starts. Those points matter in April, and for a team with playoff aspirations, it could lead to the entire season being written off.