1st Overall Pick in Action - San Jose Sharks at New York Islanders
by Dave D
Saturday, October 17th – Nassau Coliseum
The Sharks are in the midst of a six game road trip. They lost Thursday’s game against Washington 4-1. This comes on the heels of a 1-0 shootout loss to Phoenix, so suffice to say their offense is struggling. The Sharks have had problems with consistency so far this season, unable to string anything together for more than a few periods at a time. If there was a team that San Jose believed would help them break out an offensive slump, the Islanders would be high on that list.
For their credit, the Islanders have shown some pluck this season. This is despite the Isles having blown two third period leads and has yet to win a game. However, they have three points in their first four games and the line of John Tavares, Kyle Okposo and Matt Moulson has shown potential to be one of the most dangerous in the league. They are still a few years away from being a strong contender, but at least fans on Long Island have some legit hope for the future.
What The Sharks Have To Do To Win:
The Sharks run on offense, and without it they can seem like a mediocre team. The players are there, with Joe Thornton, Dany Heatley and Patrick Marleau, but they need to step up quick for the Sharks to re-establish themselves as an elite team in the West.
One of the most underrated stats in hockey is faceoff percentage. Winning a key faceoff is usually the first step in scoring a goal. The Sharks lead the NHL in that field. Keep it up San Jose, and the opportunities to score will be yours.
What The Islanders Have To Do To Win:
The Islanders most pressing issue is the inability to close out games. Last week they blew a 3-0 lead to Boston in the third period before losing 4-3 in a shootout. On Wednesday they looked lost in the final period, eventually losing 2-1 to the Kings. There are going to be some bad games this year for the Islanders, but losing late leads does nothing to improve the young team’s confidence as it plays out the year.
Luckily for the Islanders John Tavares is looking right at home in the NHL. Last summer’s Number 1 overall pick had questions about his skating ability, but five points in the team’s first four games is a good way to quiet the critics. The line of Tavares, Okposo and Moulson is easily the teams best, and if they can produce the team will have a shot of winning game’s they probably aren’t supposed to.
Outlook & Pick
The Islanders are young and fast, but the Sharks are young, fast and talented and also have a top-flight goalie between the pipes. Despite a little bump in the road recently, San Jose is still one of the best teams in the league, and the best teams usually beat up on teams like the Islanders. Should New York catch the Sharks flat-footed they may have a chance to sneak out a victory, but that is unlikely. The Sharks recent struggles have been against big-time goalies like Ilya Bryzgalov and Semyon Varlamov. A game against Martin Biron could cure there woes.
Free Pick: San Jose Sharks
