Breaking down Capitals-Islanders playoff series
Changes were necessary when the Washington Capitals failed to make the playoffs just last season. They fired head coach Adam Oates and brought in Barry Trotz. They fired general manager George McPhee and promoted Brian McLellan to the position.
Now, the Capitals have transformed into a more defensively responsible team. They brought in Brooks Orpik and Matt Niskanen in the offseason, greatly boosting their blue line. They are a big, grinding team that exemplifies Trotz's teams of the past. But the Caps still possess the most dangerous goal scorer in the game in Alex Ovechkin, and a premier playmaker to complement him in Nicklas Backstrom.
The Islanders have been celebrating their entire year, as they have been consistently one of the top teams in the league, all the while cherishing the history as they play in Nassau Coliseum for the final year. They too brought in two defensemen via trade, Nick Leddy and Johnny Boychuk, who have transformed into the team's top shutdown pairing.
The Islanders have the ability to wear down opponents with their blazing speed, and they click behind John Tavares, who is constantly carving through his opponents with efficiency and brilliance. And in the final year at the Coliseum, what better way than to say goodbye with the Stanley Cup in their hands?
Series overview
| Washington | New York | |
| Total Points | 101 | 101 |
| Home Record | 23-13-5 | 25-14-2 |
| Away Record | 22-13-6 | 22-14-5 |
| Goals Per Game | 2.89 (6th) | 2.99 (4th) |
| Goals Against Per Game | 2.43 (7th) | 2.73 (23rd) |
| Power Play | 25.3 percent (1st) | 18.7 percent (16th) |
| Penalty Kill | 81.2 percent (14th) | 78 percent (26th) |
Forwards
Washington
For the last few games, the Capitals have experimented. They broke up Ovechkin and Backstrom, placing Ovechkin on the top line as the left wing and Backstrom as the second line center. It appears to be working, as the two continue to produce. The rookie Evgeny Kuznetsov has slid up as the first-line center, and Joel Ward flanks the two Russians on the right. On either side of Backstrom, you will find Marcus Johansson and Troy Brouwer. These six will be relied on heavily to produce offense, and should one of the lines run cold, the Caps can easily falter.
New York
The Islanders offense flows through Tavares, who finished the season with 86 points. But he has plenty of weapons all around him, and while the Islanders have been bottom dwellers offensively for the last several seasons, their investments have blossomed. Ryan Strome is everything the Islanders expected him to be when they selected him fifth overall in the 2011 draft. The winger can be found alongside Tavares, and his 17 goals and 50 points will be counted on heavily. He and Kyle Okposo provide the one-two punch the Islanders have on the right side of the ice.
Nikolay Kulemin has recently seen some time on the top line, but the primary goal-scoring threat the Capitals must keep their eyes on is Brock Nelson, who had 20 goals on the year, and also Anders Lee, who added 25 of his own. Frans Neilsen is a constant offensive threat with the puck, and has the ability and vision to find the open man. But the bottom six is what can truly put the Islanders over the top. The combination of Matt Martin, Cal Clutterbuck and Casey Cizikas was referred to as the "best fourth line in hockey" by Don Cherry for its rough-and-tough style of play.
Defensemen
Washington
Adding Orpik and Niskanen immediately transformed the Capitals into a better defensive team, and the difference between this year's blue line and last year's is almost night and day. Orpik and John Carlson are viewed as the team's primary shutdown pair, but Niskanen and Karl Alzner see their fair share of playing time in critical game situations. Tim Gleason, who was brought in at the trade deadline from the Carolina Hurricanes, provides a big, durable body that's not afraid to out-muscle his opponents in front of his net. More importantly, the stay-at-home defenseman allows his partner, Mike Green, to jump into the offensive play.
New York
Goaltending
Washington
During the offseason, Trotz brought along Mitch Korn, his goaltending coach in Nashville, to Washington. Korn has guided Braden Holtby, and has helped transform him into one of the league's top goaltenders. In his first season as a true No. 1 goaltender, Holtby has shined, earning himself a .923 save percentage (seventh in the league) and a 2.22 goals against average (fifth). He also finished his year with nine shutouts, one off the league-leading mark. He provides Washington with its best goaltending they have had in the Ovechkin era. But the last five Stanley Cup-winning goaltenders played just 49, 30, 69, 57 and 39 games in the regular season. Does Holtby have enough left in the tank to lead the Capitals?
New York
No matter who goes between the pipes for New York, it will be a former Capitals goaltender. Michal Neuvirth spent six seasons in Washington, but he will more than likely serve as the backup unless needed. Jaroslav Halak spent 12 games in a Capitals uniform just last season, and, as they have all season, they will look to him to help win the series. Halak's numbers this year are by no means spectacular, with just a .914 save percentage (23rd in the league) and a 2.43 goals against average (23rd).
His save percentage is below and his goals-against average is above his career average, but Halak is known for doing damage in the playoffs. In his 2009-10 season with the Montreal Canadiens, Halak wiped out the Presidents Trophy-winning Capitals in a seven-game series, and followed that by destroying Sidney Crosby and the Penguins' Stanley Cups hopes in another seven-game series, all while Montreal was an eighth seed. He recorded a .923 save percentage and 2.55 goals against average in 18 games.
Enhanced Stats
Washington
The Capitals vastly improved on their team position this season. This season, the Caps ranked in the top half in the league in unblocked net shot attempts at even strength five-on-five with +155. Last season? They had -301, good for 26th in the league. And their team shooting percentage at even strength five-on-five is just 8.1 percent, while their team save percentage at even strength five-on-five is .924.
New York
The Islanders are the puck-possession darling of the league, especially because the top-puck possession team, the Los Angeles Kings, is out of the Stanley Cup race. The Islanders finished their season second in unblocked net shot attempts at even strength five-on-five with +459. That means they tend to have the puck on their sticks far more than their opponents do, which means they give themselves more offensive chances. Their team shooting percentage at even strength five-on-five is 7.9, which is actually relatively average, while their team save percentage is .914. Should they raise their team shooting percentage a few points higher, accompanied with their strong possession numbers, they should be a tough team to beat.
Head to Head
Keys to winning series
Head to Head
| 2014-15 Season | Record |
| Washington Capitals | 2-0-2 |
| New York Islanders | 2-1-1 |
Washington
Washington's top-ranked power play must remain elite against the Islanders. The Islanders penalty kill is dreadful, ranked 26th in the league at just 78 percent. With so many deadly weapons on the power play, the Capitals must be able to attack the Islanders from all areas. Ovechkin is practically automatic when he gets the puck around the left face off dot. But if the Islanders catch on or play him heavily, other areas must be able to step up. Whether it's Carlson, Green or even Niskanen at the point, they must be willing to shoot the puck. Backstrom must step in from the half board, and they must constantly look to feed Brouwer in front of the crease. If Washington wins the special-teams battle, they will succeed in this series.
New York
The Islanders have several players that have breakaway ability. They are one of the fastest, if not the fastest, teams in the league. They must fully utilize their speed against the Capitals' big blue line. The players on the left side of the Caps blue line, primarily Orpik and Gleason, pride themselves on physical play, but don't have great closing speed. Should Grabner find the seams in the Caps defense, he can have a field day offensively. The Islanders must find the open lanes and capitalize on their opportunities.
Final thoughts
Regardless of who wins the series, one of the best players in the world is going to be eliminated. Is it Ovechkin, who throughout his career always seem to fall one game short of moving on? Or is it Tavares, who has patiently waited for his entire career for the Islanders to become a legitimate threat? It's going to be a fast-paced, physical series, and either team can see itself come out on top.
