Washington Capitals Metro Division Preview – New York Islanders

Up next in the Washington Capitals Metropolitan Division preview is the New York Islanders, who made the playoffs last year as a wildcard. This off-season, the Islanders had quite a bit of turnover, letting go of a couple of prominent names while picking up a couple of experienced journeymen as well as a familiar face Caps fans know. What exactly will the Islanders bring this season and how will the Capitals prepare for them?

Of all the moments between the Washington Capitals and the New York Islanders, the most notable one would have to be in 1987 in what is known as the “Easter Epic,” a game 7 that went into four overtimes with New York being the victor. It is notable because it is the longest game 7 in the history of the Stanley Cup playoffs, and was the longest playoff game until 2008. So how is this relevant to these now? Not much, to be honest, although the history between the Capitals and the Islanders has had some pretty close games in recent years, including a playoff matchup a couple years back.

The Capitals took three of four games against the Islanders last year, the sole loss coming in overtime. The three wins saw the Caps play a competitive team that took one game an overtime for the guys in red to win and the other needing a late third period goal from Alex Ovechkin to win it. That competitiveness from the Islanders led them into the playoffs and helped them win their first round series against the Florida Panthers. Unfortunately for them, the Islanders ended up getting eliminated in the second round by the Tampa Bay Lightning in five games. After that, the Islanders underwent several changes and made some moves in order to compensate some of their biggest losses.

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Last Season

The New York Islanders finished last season with 100 points even, good enough to get them into the playoffs as a wildcard team. They were led by their star player John Tavares, who led the team in both points and goals. In addition to that, the Islanders also relied upon the likes of Kyle Okposo and Frans Nielsen, who were the second and third best scorers on the team respectively. As for their goalie situation, time was mostly split between experience goaltender Jaroslav Halak and Thomas Greiss, who until last season was mainly a backup for many other teams. In the playoffs, the nod was given to Greiss, who played decently enough with a .923 save percentage.

Statistically, the Islanders were shy of the top ten in scoring categories and were average in power play percentage, but their biggest strength was the penalty kill where they ended up finishing fourth best in that stat. Other than that, the Islanders were good enough in the regular season to make the post-season for a second straight year. However, with all that happened in the off season, will they be good enough to make it three years in a row?

This Offseason

For a team that made the playoffs, the Islanders perhaps were the team that made some of the biggest changes to their team. Two of their top three scoring players, Kyle Okposo and Frans Nielsen, are no longer with the team. Okposo will be playing alongside Evander Kane in Buffalo and Nielsen will be joining the Detroit Red Wings. So how exactly did the Islanders replace two of their most glaring holes?

The Islanders turned to free agency in order to help fulfill that for a short term solution while trying to let their younger talent develop. One of their most prominent signings is a player that has been a favorite of many Capitals fans, Jason Chimera. Even though the forward is 37 years old and is entering his 15th year, Chimera still proved to be a solid scorer with the Caps last year, posting 40 points (20 goals, 20 assists). Clearly the Islanders felt like Chimera had at least one more season like that, which is why they signed him to a deal. In addition to that, the Islanders also signed Andrew Ladd, a reliable player who found success with the Chicago Blackhawks. New York also signed PA Parenteau as well, who had played with the Islanders a few years back.

Next: Washington Capitals Metro Division Preview – Pittsburgh Penguins

Final Thoughts

The New York Islanders are a team that will probably be in contention for the playoffs once again. As long as they have John Tavares, I think they’ll at least be able to make the post-season. But they’re likely not going to be the first or second team that people would say can win it all. Still, for the Washington Capitals, they match up pretty well against the Islanders, even with the new additions that were made this offseason.

Next time, we’re staying in New York to cover Washington’s biggest rival in recent years, the Rangers.