New York Islanders Emergence Of Lee (Winners & Losers)
The New York Islanders have played much better hockey as of late having points in their last six contests. Here are our winners and losers of the week:
This past week we’ve seen our New York Islanders play three games and come away with five of the available six points. The Isles have even started producing offensively.
The highlight of this stretch run was the statement win over the Metropolitan Division leading New York Rangers. It’s always great to beat the cross town rival.
Jason Chimera and Andrew Ladd were able to get on the board which was a great sign.
Overall the penalty kill has been great, they’re getting more scoring opportunities and actually putting the puck in the net in addition to getting better goalie play of late as well.
Without further ado here is the Eyes On Isles winners and losers of the week:
Apr 30, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; New York Islanders center John Tavares (91) looks on against the Tampa Bay Lightning during the second period of game two of the second round of the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Winner: John Tavares
I’ve heard chatter recently that Josh Bailey is the MVP for the Islanders this season. I get it we don’t always want to give it to the same person year after year, but lets be honest. Has anyone been better than John Tavares? Nope.
Tavares aside Bailey has certainly been the Isles best and most consistent player, but that’s only when you don’t factor Tavares in the equation at all.
Over this nice little run of five games, where the Isles have gone 4-0-1 Tavares has six points. Capped off with that outstanding goal against the Blues last night, where Tavares did what Tavares does and just dazzled.
Shaking off a defender by playing the puck from behind his back, Tavares confused and bedazzled the entire Blues team as four defenders backed away to give Tavares an uncontested slot area to burry the puck in the top corner.
The fortunes of the team match that of it’s star player. If the Isles were going to get anything going and move up the standings they were going to have to be led there by the man with the ‘C’.
Tavares is leading by example and dragging this team, again, to some form of respectability. There’s still a lot of hockey to go in this 2016-17 season. But over the last two weeks the Isles have started to look like that 100 point team they’ve been the last two years.
Nov 25, 2016; San Jose, CA, USA; New York Islanders left wing Anthony Beauvillier (72) controls the puck in the third period of the game against San Jose Sharks at SAP Center at San Jose. The San Jose Sharks defeated the New York Islanders with a score of 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports
Loser: Anthony Beauvillier
I’ve made the 19-year-old a loser, not only for his play, but also because of his unlucky predicament of being a healthy scratch during a vein of form.
Anthony Beauvillier’s been in an OK form recently. Even scoring some time on the top line alongside John Tavares and Josh Bailey. He’s playing well, but he’s not putting up points. Unless they play Pittsburgh.
Since his highlight reel goal against the Pens earlier in the month of November, Beauvillier hadn’t registered a point until the Isles welcomed the Pens to the Barc on the 30th in that wonderful 5-3 win.
Which sounds like grounds for a healthy scratch. Which is exactly what happened. In the last five games Beauvillier has played a total of three. Missing out on games against the Detroit Red Wings and the New York Rangers.
A game the Isles should have won (and still got a point from) and a game where the Isles were the better team. So not only did Capuano have justification to make Beauvillier a healthy scratch he’s now got ammunition to keep that practice up. Because the Isles are winning again.
The kid needs to play, sitting up in the pressbox ain’t going to teach him much. But at the same time, it’s not like he’s doing anything with the opportunities he’s been given.
Two points and less than a shot on goal per game in his last fourteen games isn’t great form. It’s hard to blame the coach on this one. The team is winning. Although to be fair, it’s not like Beauvillier was the sole cause for the Isles woes before this little run of form.
Jan 17, 2016; Brooklyn, NY, USA; New York Islanders center Anders Lee (27) advances the puck during the second period against the Vancouver Canucks at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports
Winner: Anders Lee
So Anders Lee continues to score goals. He’s got seven in the last eight games and is now tied for the team lead in goals with John Tavares.
Lee is finally doing what he does best. He’s going in front of the net and deflecting shots. When Lee is hot this is what he does. As seen here:
The Isles could sure use the 2014-2015 version of Anders Lee at the moment. That 25 goal performance in his rookie year was tremendous but he clearly took a step back in his second full season in the NHL.
Can Lee stay this hot? Probably not, he’s an extremely streaky player. But when he’s hot the Isles have to ride him out for as long as possible.
Apr 30, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; New York Islanders center Alan Quine (10) works out prior to game two of the second round of the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Loser: Alan Quine
It was actually pretty hard to pick a loser for this week. In week’s past usually it was hard to find the winner for the week but I have to go with Alan Quine.
He’s been extremely underwhelming in my opinion. Was I expecting him to be an offensive juggernaut? Absolutely not, but he hasn’t even been serviceable.
In 17 games he’s got one goal and two assists (three points). He doesn’t kill you with taking a ton of penalties he’s only got one so far this year and he has a positive plus minus but his once heroic playoff stretch is long in the past.
Just eight months ago he was playing alongside John Tavares in the Stanley Cup Playoffs as hard as that may be to believe.
Although that could be said with numerous forwards on the Islanders roster, Quine might be the most glaring. He’s a part of the middle six unit that tends to be rather useless for the Isles.
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