What you need to know about the New York Islanders

There isn’t a Mike Bossy, Pat Lafontaine or John Tavares.

And, thankfully, Eddie Westfall, John Tonelli and David Volek are long gone.

The New York Islanders don’t exactly have a lineup worthy of fear, but don’t you dare disrespect them.

“The structure they have is really effective because they all buy into it,” Penguins defenseman Kris Letang said. “We know because if you fall into that trap, if you want to call it that way, they have all the skill in the world to make you pay. That’s why they were a dangerous team. That’s why they were first in our division most of the year.

“They have tons of guys that can score and can make plays.”

But who exactly are those guys?

Here’s a quick refresher of the lines, defensive pairs and goaltenders the Islanders will likely open with for Game 1 of their first-round series with the Penguins on Sunday.

First line: Leo Komarov – Mathew Barzal – Jordan Erberle

Talk about a classic “one of these things isn’t like the others” dynamics.

First, the “others.”

The real star of the show here is Barzal who might be one of the five most talented players in the entire NHL. He led the Islanders in scoring this season with 45 points (17 goals, 28 assists) in 55 games.

On his right wing is the hiccup-quick Jordan Eberle. He might not be the class of Philadelphia Flyers great Bobby Clarke or an orca, but Eberle earned his stripes as a Penguin killer during the 2019 playoffs by scoring six points (four goals, two assists) in the Islanders’ four-game first-round sweep of the Penguins

As for Komarov, he’s the odd fit on this line. Not blessed with an abundance of skill, “Uncle Leo” is a rambunctious you-know-what disturber. He will forecheck and annoy Penguins defensemen throughout this series in hopes of allowing Barzal and Eberle freedom to create offense.

Second line: Anthony Beauvillier – Brock Nelson – Josh Bailey

A big presence at 6-foot-4 and 212 pounds, Nelson led the Islanders in goals this season with 18. While not overly aggressive, he can make life miserable for opposing goaltenders by setting up shop above the crease to create havoc in front, particularly on the power play.

Bailey is the elder statesman of the Islanders, having suited up for the franchise ever since he was the ninth overall pick of the 2008 draft. Intelligent and crafty, he has a knack for creating scoring opportunities.

On the left wing, Beauvillier supplies speed and has been a fairly consistent producer against the Penguins throughout his career with 10 points (five goals, five assists) in 20 games.

Third line: Kyle Palmieri – Jean-Gabriel Pageau – Oliver Wahlstrom

A steady 20-goal threat, Palmieri hasn’t exactly lit it up since he was acquired via trade on April 7. In 17 games with the Islanders, he has been limited to two goals. Regardless, he might have the best shot on the team and can not be overlooked with regards to matchups.

One of the better two-way centers in the NHL, Pageau led the Islanders with 195 defensive zone stops this season and paced the team in faceoffs, winning 56.7% of his draws. He is arguably the face of the Islanders tenacious defensive game.

A first-round pick in 2018 (No. 11 overall), the talented Wahlstrom enjoyed a fairly productive rookie season with 21 points (12 goals, nine assists) in 44 games.

Fourth line: Matt Martin – Casey Cizikas – Cal Clutterbuck

For several years, this has been hailed as the best fourth line in hockey.

Martin’s game is pretty simple. That’s to say he hits a bunch as he was eighth in the NHL with 181 hits. An imposing presence at 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds, Martin doesn’t fight as much as he used to, but that’s because there aren’t many other players like him left in the NHL willing to take on the challenge.

One of the few people capable of saying they outhit Martin is Clutterbuck who was fifth in the league with 191 hits. As vexing player of a player as there is in the NHL, you will likely have a healthy destation for Clutterbuck by the second period of Game 2 if you’re a Penguins fan.

While not as prolific of a checker as his wingers, Cizikas offers an abrasive game along with a decent amount of offense, putting up 14 points (seven goals, seven assists) in 56 games while claiming 53.2% of faceoffs he took.

First pair: Adam Pelech – Ryan Pulock

Blessed with a heavy right-handed shot, Pulock led the Islanders with 22:27 of average ice time this season while being a presence on both the power play (1:55) and penalty kill (1:32). He is the Islanders’ most complete defenseman.

The stay-at-home Pelech a is a good counter-balance to Pulock. Blessed with some size at 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds, Pelech is steady but unspectacular.

Second pair: Nick Leddy – Scott Mayfield

A waterbug of a puck-mover, Leddy is easily the Islanders’ best offensive force on the backend. In 56 games this season, he was the Islanders’ fifth-leading scorer with 31 points (two goals, 29 assists).

At 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds, Mayfield is something of a throwback defenseman who plays a simple, physical game without much in the way of speed.

Third pair: Adam Greene – Noah Dobson

Like Palmieri, Greene is another refugee from the New Jersey Devils. At 38, Greene gets by on guile and experience and usually makes the correct play within his physical limitations.

A first-round pick (No. 12 overall) in 2018, Dobson is a work in progress. Blessed with plenty of skating and skill, he’s still learning the finer points of the defensive game.

Goaltenders: Semyon Varlamov – Ilya Sorokin

Once upon a time, Varlamov nearly derailed the Penguins’ hopes of winning the Stanley Cup in 2009 as a 21-year-old with the Washington Capitals. Twelve years later, he’s trying to do the same thing as a 33-year-old. Playing behind one of the best defensive squads in the NHL, Varlamov led the NHL with seven shutouts and had a career-best .929 save percentage.

That said, Varlamov largely struggled against the Penguins this season, going 1-3-2 against them. Should he falter in this series, Islanders coaches could easily pivot to backup Ilya Sorokin. Athletic but a bit raw, Sorokin enjoyed a fine rookie season going 13-6-3 in 22 games.

Follow the Penguins all season long.