The New York Islanders should not be in a playoff position if their goaltending numbers are any indication. After a 6-3 loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday, the Islanders goaltenders now own the league’s worst .892 combined save percentage 34 games into the season.
Morning Skate: Subpar goaltending hasn’t really hurt the New York Islanders, yet
Jaroslav Halak and Thomas Greiss have, for the most part, been saved by the Islanders’ spectacular scoring.
Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images
And yet, those numbers put up by Jaroslav Halak and Thomas Greiss don’t tell the whole story. The Islanders may have the NHL’s worst overall save percentage, but the team as a whole is sitting as the Eastern Conference’s second wild card team with 39 points.
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A lot of that is thanks to the Islanders’ reignited offense. Both John Tavares and Josh Bailey sit at 42 points on the season as two of the NHL’s top five point producers this season. Young players like Mathew Barzal and offseason acquisitions in Jordan Eberle have made major contributions, as both forwards are above the 20-point mark on the season.
Though the Islanders have an 18-13-3 record on the year, they could be much better if their goaltending was up to par. New York’s defense hasn’t done terribly this year, as their 49.95 even strength CF%, according to Corsica, is middle of the road in the league. However, their 2.44 xGF/60 is well below their actual 2.93 GF/60, meaning the disconnect is clearly with the netminders. Greiss, for example, faced just 22 shots on Tuesday, but allowed five goals against in a contest the Islanders could have easily won.
There is plenty of time for the Islanders to turn the ship around on goaltending or find a suitable replacement before the trade deadline. Yet, if the Islanders miss the playoffs by just a few points, sub-par goaltending may just be to blame.
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