Keys to the Series: Islanders vs Capitals

The New York Islanders and Washington Capitals face off in the First Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, starting on August 12.
NewYorkIslanders.com is breaking down keys to the series in advance of Game 1. Stay tuned to NewYorkIslanders.com for news, features, video and more from the Isles-Capitals series.

A quick refresher. The Isles allowed the ninth-fewest goals-per-game (2.79) during the regular season and were as high as fifth until Adam Pelech's Achilles Tendon injury. The Islanders looked very much like their stingy selves in their series win over the Panthers, allowing seven total goals in four games (1.75 per game).
Digging deeper, the Islanders only allowed three five-on-five goals during the Panthers series, including one four seconds after a Florida power play before Anthony Beauvillier could rejoin the play. At their best, the Isles smothered the Panthers, holding them without a shot on goal for 10-minute stretches in Games 1 and 2.
The Islanders had a full buy-in on the defensive side of the puck, even from the team's most offensively-inclined players, as Mathew Barzal's line was not on the ice for any of Florida's goals in the series. The Isles blocked 72 shots in the series, (their 18 per/60 ranked third) perhaps none more impactful than Ryan Pulock's diving, open-net save on Aleksander Barkov in Game 4.
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"We all know as a group the style of our play isn't flashy, but we trust and believe in one another," Brock Nelson said after Game 4. "Every line can go out there and contribute five-on-five and is responsible defensively against anybody on the other side. Everyone has confidence from Barry and the guys, and the guys to each other to go out there and get the job done at five-on-five."
That team defense will be put to the test against the NHL's second-highest-scoring team in the regular season, as the Capitals averaged 3.42 goals-per-game during the regular season, trailing only the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The Capitals are explosive, scoring five-or-more goals 21 times this season, and recording three-or-more in 49 of their 69 games. The usual suspects key the offense, as Alex Ovechkin scored a team-high 48 goals, defenseman John Carlson led the team in assists (60) and points (75), while Nicklas Backstrom (54 points), Evgeny Kuznetsov (52) and Jakub Vrana (52) each hit the 50-point plateau. TJ Oshie (26 goals) and Tom Wilson (21) both scored 20 goals.
"That group has a lot of pedigree, a lot of star power, and they've won championships, they are well-equipped in a lot of areas," Trotz said on Sunday. "The biggest challenge is to play them even and play them hard. They'll do the same because I know a lot about that group."
The Caps offense was quiet during the their three round-robin games, averaging 1.67 goals-per-game, but was also playing without some of its key parts, as Carlson missed all three round-robin contests, while Lars Eller missed two games for the birth of his second child.
The Islanders can't count on that to continue, as they know first-hand how potent the Capitals attack can be. Washington scored 14 goals over the four meetings between the clubs this season, but the teams played to an even 2-2-0 record.
"We match up pretty good against them. They're always high-intensity games through the regular season," Nick Leddy said on Monday. "It almost feels like a playoff game every time we play them. It'll be no different, everything will be more intense, a little faster piece. It'll be a fun series, so we're looking forward to it."

Video: Prepping for the Capitals

DISCIPLINE AND SPECIAL TEAMS:

The Islanders know full well the impact special teams can have on a playoff series.
The Isles allowed four power-play goals (on 14 attempts) to the Panthers in the Qualifying Round, killing off 71.4% of their penalties. The four power-play goals (a de facto fifth came four seconds after a Panthers power play expired) accounted for nearly two-thirds of all of Florida's goals.
That says a lot about the surgical precision of the Panthers power play, but also drove home the importance of playing disciplined and not giving Washington any extra opportunities.
The Caps power play finished the season with a 19.4% conversion rate, good for 17th in the league, while their 42 power-play goals tied for 13th. The efficiency numbers may not be as high as the Panthers, but the Isles are showing the requisite respect to Ovechkin and co. Ovechkin scored 13 power-play goals this season and played a league-high 332:32 on the man advantage this season.
"First of all, you've got to take away number 8," Casey Cizikas said. "He's going to get looks, but you have to limit them and make it hard for him to get through. Once you take him away you've got guys like Oshie in the middle, you've got Backstrom and Carlson up top. It's pretty deadly, but you have to be willing to block shots and get the puck down when you get the chance."
The best prevention will be staying disciplined, something the Islanders did very well against the Panthers. The Isles took a combined four penalties in Games 1 and 2, ballooning up to five in Game 3, their only loss of the series.
Given the animosity between the Metro rivals, the Isles are expecting an emotional and intense series, with some extra-curricular activities from players like Tom Wilson and Garnet Hathaway. Playing hard between the whistles will be key, as will staying disciplined. Trotz said Ross Johnston, who played in three of the Isles four games against the Caps this season, could also get some consideration to counter Washington's size.
"They've got guys on their side that are going to want to draw penalties and put the best power play in hockey a man up," Martin said. "We're coming off a series where we know how dangerous a power play can be and how costly an undisciplined penalty can be. We have a mature group who has been through some important and games and important series. A group that understands what guys are trying to do in those after the whistle scenarios and we've done a pretty good job of being disciplined in those cases."
On the flip side, the Islanders power play found a groove against the Panthers, going 4-for-16 (25%) in the series. The power play lit the lamp in each of the Isles wins, with both units contributing. Perhaps just as noteworthy was the amount of power plays the Isles generated, including a season-high seven man advantages in Game 2, after receiving the fewest power plays during the regular season.

BARRY TROTZ:

Before becoming the Islanders Head Coach, Barry Trotz spent four years behind the Capitals bench, leading the franchise to its first Stanley Cup in 2018.
While he's moved on, 11 players from the 2018 Final are still on the Capitals roster, so Trotz has some familiarity and insights into players like Ovechkin, Kuznetsov and Wilson. That said, with some turnover and Head Coach Todd Reirden instituting his own style, Trotz doesn't have the complete blueprint to the Death Star, but the Islanders can expect an extra detailed plan of attack.
He'll also have the insights from Associate Coach Lane Lambert and Director of Goaltending Mitch Korn at his disposal, both of whom were with Trotz all four years in Washington.
"Barry and Laner obviously have a lot of history with these guys," Matt Martin said. "Hopefully they know the formula to shut them down as well. Any series, any game we've ever been a part of with this coaching staff, they've put us in the best position to win. They always come up with the formulas and systems, structure, detail and all those things."
Since joining the Islanders, Trotz is 4-4-0 against his former club, including a 2-2-0 record this season, so having a former coach doesn't guarantee a series win, but in a tightly-contested matchup, any potential advantage can be utilized.

Video: Relive the Qualifying Round win over the Panthers.

GOALTENDING:

Goaltending is a key factor in every playoff series - and this one is no different.
Semyon Varlamov started all four games against the Panthers - including both legs of a back-to-back set in Games 2 and 3 - and turned in solid performances. Varlamov went 3-1 in the Qualifier with a 1.76 GAA and a .932 SV%, allowing two goals or fewer in three of his four starts. Varlamov's .932 SV% was the sixth-highest of any goalie with three-or-more games played in the Qualifying Round.
Varlamov went 1-2-0 against Washington this season, with a 3.39 GAA and a .896 SV%. Those numbers betray how good he was in a 36-save 4-3 win on New Year's Eve and a 28-save 2-1 loss on Oct. 4.
Braden Holtby is expected to start for the Capitals. If Washington's offense was looking to find its game during the round robin, Holtby appears to be in fine form with a 1.98 GAA and a .925 SV% to go with a 1-1-1 record in three games. Those numbers are a marked improvement over the 3.11 GAA and .897 SV% Holtby posted during the season.
Holtby went 0-1-0 in three appearances against the Isles this season, with a 3.85 GAA and a .857 SV%.
"He's tough to beat and when he's on, he's on," Barzal said. "We're going to have to find ways to open up shots, hopefully just capitalize on our chances because shots from the point, or low-grade chances have a tough time going in on him because he's so positionally sound."
If Holtby falters, the Caps will be forced to go to Vitek Vanecek, who has no NHL games to his credit. That comes in light of a reported neck/back injury to Ilya Samsonov, who picked up a pair of wins vs the Islanders this season. Vacecek, the Caps 2014 second-round pick, has spent the past four seasons in AHL Hershey.

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HEALTH/DEPTH:

With Johnny Boychuk practicing with the team, Barry Trotz expects to have a fully healthy compliment of players heading into the series. That's a plus for the Isles, who are a deep team on the blue line, even if it means some tough decisions for Trotz, as Andy Greene filled in admirably for Boychuk.
The Isles blue line depth already passed a test in the Qualifying Round and the team feels they are also deep in goal with Thomas Greiss backing up Varlamov, and at forward given the way they roll four lines. The Capitals may have more firepower, but Isles like their depth.
"We have four lines that we can put out at any time of the game," Cizikas said. "We kind of feed off that in the locker room and off of each other. [The coaching staff] do a good job of keeping guys in the game and putting them in situations where they can succeed and guys have built off that and are confident with their game right now."
The Capitals may not have a full roster in time for Game 1, as John Carlson is still considered day-to-day and missed all three round-robin games. He did not participate in Washington's optional skate on Monday, but Reirden said he's taking steps in the right direction.
The Isles are expecting a physical series against the Caps and history suggests that'll be the case. Trotz called the 2015 series "physical," "vicious" and "highly-emotional" and there's no love lost between the two clubs. If it's as grueling as the last one - the Isles were down two regular defensemen by Game 7 - depth could become a big component.
"We'll be ready. It's not going to be easy by any means," Martin said. "They're a great hockey team, they're battle tested and they've accomplished the ultimate goal and know what it takes. We believe that we have the group in here that can do it also, so Game 1 is going to be a lot of fun. Hopefully we can set the tone and come away with a win and find a way to win the series at the end of the day."