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The New York Islanders have had a seesaw beginning to their season, trading losses and wins through five games to sit at 2-3-0 as they prepare to face the Vancouver Canucks.
Despite the mixed results, there have been bright spots, notably Bo Horvat's offensive output. Horvat has found the scoresheet in every game so far, amassing four goals and two assists for six points.
The second line of Brayden Schenn, Victor Eklund, and Cal Ritchie has also contributed effectively. Head coach Peter DeBoer has been juggling his lines, searching for the optimal combinations to maximize his players' potential, especially with Mathew Barzal unavailable.
However, a persistent issue has been the Islanders' sluggish starts. Through five contests, they have managed just one first-period goal. Their offense awakens in the middle frame, where they have scored 10 goals, and adds five more in the third period.
Canucks Present Prime Opportunity
As the Islanders wrap up their homestand at UBS Arena against Vancouver, the focus is on beginning the game with urgency. Defenseman Logan Stanley highlighted two keys to achieving that: smart puck management in the defensive zone and aggressive forechecking.
"We need four lines and six D going at all times," Stanley said, via Tyler Millen of NHL.com. "Depth is going to be one of our strengths. We got four good lines and six good D that can all play. I think also keeping the game simple. Turnovers in this league never help a team in any way. If we have nothing, getting on our forecheck because I think we got good strong forwards that hunt pucks and get them back and that creates momentum for us."
Vancouver appears to be the ideal opponent for New York to ignite its early offense. The Canucks have surrendered 35 goals this season, the most in the league, allowing an average of five per game. Their special teams have been particularly vulnerable, with a penalty kill operating at a dismal 52% and 12 power-play goals conceded.
Stanley himself has been a revelation. In five games, he has registered four assists and a plus/minus rating of +3, making a positive impact and silencing critics who questioned his addition after training camp. Initially on the third pairing, he was promoted to the top pair alongside star Matthew Schaefer following an ACL injury to Alexander Romanov that forced a reshuffling of the defense corps.
In the Islanders' most recent game against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Stanley's fight was credited by both DeBoer and Schaefer as a spark that helped the team rally and match their opponent's physicality. Now, Stanley aims to help his team start faster and avoid falling into an early deficit.