Islanders crush Red Wings as offense continues

Life without Anthony Duclair in 2024 is a lot like life without Anthony Duclair for the Islanders before 2024.

That is, at the moment it can be a tedious job.

The Islanders had stretches of a 1-0 loss to the Red Wings that they could build on, entire stretches that they could point to as a template for how they want to play.

Defensively, it was in no small part a great night.

But you can’t win without scoring goals.

And the Islanders, in their first game back after Duclair was injured, looked like a team that would struggle to score goals. Come to think of it, that’s exactly what they looked like in two of the five games with Duclair, so maybe his absence isn’t exactly a problem.

It’s also not really the puck possession that the Islanders controlled en masse on Tuesday.

What exactly is the problem after three shutouts in six games doesn’t seem to be a question the Islanders have a ready answer for.

“We dominated in every aspect of the game,” coach Patrick Roy said after the Islanders held Detroit to 11 shots on net and somehow lost, the Red Wings’ lowest shot total in the win. since 1959. “So the only thing I wish we could have done better is to stand in front of the goal and continue (to do) a good job so the goalie doesn’t see those shots.”

Is scoring a serious problem?

“I was hoping you didn’t ask that question,” Roy said. “Yes and no. Yes, you want to score every night. No, because I think the puck will eventually bounce in our direction. I’m a positive person. I think things will eventually change in our favor.”

Despite all the possession, the Islanders only had two high-danger chances at five-on-five all night. Alex Lyon made 29 saves, but didn’t do enough work on them.

The Isles have never been considered a top-tier offensive team in recent years, but it wasn’t until Jan. 15 that they were shut out for the third time last season.

Not enough movement in front, not enough force to force the goalie to move from side to side, not enough deflections, tips or rebounds.

Patrick Kane’s first goal at 8:54 p.m., one of the few big chances Detroit had in 60 minutes, shouldn’t have been enough to win the game.

But that’s how it was.

“You give up (11) shots, you play good hockey,” said an annoyed Anders Lee. “I don’t care—we played a good hockey game tonight. I think that’s what’s frustrating. We played a good hockey game and left with nothing. Even OT (point) or something like that.”

The gambit of putting Simon Holmstrom on the top line with Mat Barzal and Bo Horvat went much the same as in the past, with Holmstrom giving up too much to his linemates, seemingly unwilling to keep the puck on his stick or shoot it. and the islanders suffer as a result.

However, the bottom line for the evening largely came with the same conclusion as everyone else: lots of possession, but little to show for it.

The Islanders seemed unable to provide a presence in net on Tuesday, rendering possession of the puck meaningless.

Of course, there were some setbacks – especially on the power play, which looked more threatening than it has all year, with revamped lineups in the first couple of chances and Brock Nelson hitting the crossbar in the second period.

But when the Islanders were given a third five-on-four chance late in the third, needing a goal, they couldn’t even get a shot off.

The Islanders did well in keeping the Red Wings out of the same dangerous zones at the other end of the ice, closing off open space and quickly winning the puck back. That didn’t stop Kane from stealing a goal from Ilya Sorokin for a 1-0 lead on Detroit’s first shot of the game.

However, if the Islanders play this well defensively, they could survive this series without Duclair and be better for it.

However, problems with the score look very real. And even when you play great defense, you need goals to win.

The Islanders look like a team that doesn’t quite know where to find them.