N.Y. Islanders: Opponents Yet to Penetrate Isles Defenses

From the desk of: NO SLEEP TILL BELMONT

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE

2019   PLAYOFFS   2020

Isles lead Flyers; 2-1

I - NYI 4; PHI 0

II - PHI 4; NYI 3*

III - NYI 3; PHI 1

*overtime

Games Three and Five I believe are the most pivotal in any playoff series.  There will be a fifth game, that is certain.  For now the Islanders take care of business by securing game three to reestablish a 2-1 series lead against the Philadelphia Vigneault Flyers. 

Since entering the bubble the Islanders have limited Florida, Washington and now Philadelphia within the constraints set forth by Coach Trotz' system (game two's OT loss is no different).

Through twelve games and 36 periods of regulation hockey the Islanders technically are still yet to allow thirty shots on net.  They're also doing an increasingly better job of staying out of the box and in turn playing a great majority of their games at even strength (and their chief strength).

Even their power play is improving.  They've so far traded eight special team goals with their competition.  However, whereas their PP went 4/16 against against Florida and a lowly 2/22 against Washington, they are so far 2/6 against Philly.  Conversely the Islanders have allowed Florida fourteen PP opportunities and Washington sixteen opportunities.  So far they've limited the Flyers to zero tallies in only four opportunities.

Semyom Varlamov faces 27 shots in game three letting just one get by.  Flyers winger Tyler Pitlick opens the scoring at 14:18 of the first period.  The goal marks only the twelfth even strength goal yielded by the Islanders since entering the bubble.  Overall, they are allowing an average of 1.6 goals per game with Varlamov stopping .932% (.914 regular season) of all shots on net.

After Pitlick's goal the Flyers are incapable of withstanding Long Island's ensuing surge.  Matt Martin scores his third goal of the playoffs at 7:12 of the second session.  Then with the second session winding down Philadelphia commits one of the cardinal sins in hockey: allowing a goal in the first or last two minutes of a period - at 19:54 Leo Komarov does just that.  He becomes the 13th different Islanders skater to score a goal though twelve playoff games.  At 3:41 of the third period, Anders Lee puts the game out of reach when he scores on a power play for his sixth tally of the post-season.  The Islanders are outscoring opponents by an overall 40-20 margin - exactly double.  At even strength the Isles hold a dominant 32-12 advantage.

Best news for Islanders fans is that both Martin's and Komarov's goals come off defensive end take-aways.  Varlamov also withstands Philly's 6 on 4 power play in the closing minutes of the game.

Three opponents, no answers.

Game Four awaits ...