Through the first six games of the season, the Islanders have been carried by the first line of John Tavares, P.A. Parenteau, and Matt Moulson. Combined, the three of them have 9 goals and have all been on for more goals for than goals against. While that generally does not tell the whole story, in this case it shows how effective they have been compared to the other lines.
Some had attributed the success of the Tavares line due to playing at home, where Jack Capuano is able to play matchups, allowing the first line to play against weaker defensive pairings and forward lines. That may be true, but after another two points for Tavares and one for Parenteau on Saturday (albeit on the powerplay), they have shown no signs of slowing down their production.
Eventually, however, that will happen. And when it does, the other lines are going to have to pick it up. The Islanders have played a total of 13 forwards in the first part of the 2011-12 season. Other than Tavares, Moulson, and Parenteau, the remaining ten have three goals between them - including two from 30-goal scorer Michael Grabner (Frans Nielsen has the other one). Kyle Okposo has looked sluggish and is off to a slow start, but you can see the effort is still there. Over the weekend, that beloved second line started to generate more chances - a much needed sign for a team that needs contributions from everyone who wears an Islander jersey.
The problem really starts to occur when you get down to the third line. Brian Rolston has looked slow, which is a far cry from the blazing speed he used to have. Blake Comeau has been shuffled in and out of the lineup, fueling speculation that he and Capuano have some sort of rift. But that is only speculation - the truth is no one outside that locker room knows what Comeau's situation is. Josh Bailey has been painfully ineffective thus far, as his compete level is lower than it has ever been. Bailey is struggling with simple strategies such as cutting to the front of the net and is not using his vision to generate offensive chances. That said, defensively he has been good - but the Islanders did not select Bailey to become a fourth line center.
The fourth line has largely done its job, which is to be a defensive-minded, smart line that understands the importance of puck possession. Matt Martin has been the shining star on that line, ranking second in shots behind John Tavares.
The problem is that without the second and third lines clicking, teams are able to focus on the Tavares line, especially on the road. Tavares will soon stop scoring at a goal-per-game pace. It will then be up to the secondary scorers - Michael Grabner, Kyle Okposo, Blake Comeau - to chip some goals in. If this doesn't happen, the Islanders will not win many games this year. A team cannot win with one great line and nothing else, and the Islanders are no different even with the elite talent of John Tavares.
As we start a week in which the Isles play three games against very good teams, this issue should play itself out shortly. With two home games, the Isles have a perfect opportunity to show this past Florida trip was nothing but a fluke pair of games in a long season. I would expect Jack Capuano to shake some things up to try and get different players going. Maybe a player like Micheal Haley makes his season debut this week, not for his ability to fight and play physically, but his ability to provide an energetic jolt to a team that was largely lethargic in the last two games.
But even Haley won't provide the Islanders with many goals, and that's certainly what the team needs this week. It's going to be on Okposo and Comeau and Bailey to get going. And if that offense comes around, the confidence will come around, and wins will start to follow soon after. If not, it will be on Garth Snow to be proactive and make a move. But for now, the Isles need to roll with what they have. They need to see what this team is made of.
-CH
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