New York Islanders: 2018-19 was no fluke, but a beginning

Super Soph

The Islanders best asset going into 2018-19 was Mat Barzal, who was coming off a season in which he won the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL Rookie of the Year. Barzal scored 22 goals, to go along with 63 assists in 2017-18.

Islanders Nation was excited to see if he could keep it up in his second year with the team. Barzal was indeed the real deal. In his sophomore season, scoring 18 goals with 44 assists this year, but he wasn’t the only one holding the Islanders up.

Dynamic Duo

Hockey fans know a team can only go as far as their goalies can take them. Robin Lehner and Thomas Greiss did a fantastic job in net for the Islanders and they are a large reason why they were so successful this season.

Lehner and Greiss helped the Islanders improve from last in the league in terms of goals allowed in 2017-18 with 293, to first in the league with only 191. Not bad for a pair of virtually unwanted goalies. NYI used only $4.83M of their $71.3M cap space on this season’s Jennings Trophy winners awarded to the goalies on the team that allowed the fewest goals against.

Top notch goaltending was the reason many following the team believed the Islanders had a legitimate chance at hoisting the cup come June. All those lofty expectations came crashing down when the Isles allowed 13 goals in 4 games against the Hurricanes.

With this, the question must be asked, was the 2018-19 season a fluke for the New York Islanders? The answer is no.