Lighthouse Hockey · Jan 17, 2019
It’s time to talk about the goaltending.
Little Lamoriello’s Over-AchieversEntering the season I was skeptical whether the New York Islanders would be able to gain enough points to stay in the playoff picture, let alone compete for a top-3 spot in the Metro Divison. Yet after 45 games this feisty New York team is not only competing for a top-3 spot in the Metro; they are within arm’s reach of the top of the division, relative to NHL-.500:
13 CBJ, WSH
12
11 NYI
10 PIT
...
3 CAR
What is more, this under-the-radar team has been the most successful of the five Metro playoff contenders since Devon Toews entered the lineup Dec. 23, in terms of both record and 5v5 adjusted expected goals share:
9-2-0 NYI (56.4%)
8-3-0 CBJ (53.1%)
8-4-0 CAR (51.3%)