Most goals allowed.
Huge jump in shots again.
Most shots blocked in the league.
Worst even strength club in the league.
Islanders last season cut the shots against by a hundred and ninety eight.
This season (31 games-891 shots against) twenty fifth.
Last season (82 games-2228 shots against) nineteenth.
Note-shots do not reflect quality chances against.
Scott Gordon from the day of his hiring talked about overspeed and his defensive system, he talked about playing more in the offensive zone as a good way to keep pressure off.
Lets re-introduce some of the quotes which do not reflect how things have played out.
"He's adamant about playing a tight defensive system. He's going to make a difference, starting with our defensive zone. The neutral-zone forecheck will be different, too. It's going to be a great fit for our players."
Islanders gm Garth Snow, Newsday August 13th
One of the best things is Gordon's commitment to playing a tight defensive system. As DiPietro often has pointed out, the Islanders play their best hockey when they concentrate on protecting their defensive zone. "As far as systems go, my job is to stop the hockey puck," DiPietro said. "But as a goalie, you do get the opportunity to see things in front of you. I'm sure he's going to institute a system that fits our team."
Islander goaltender, Rick DiPietro Newsday August 13th
"We didn't have the team that anybody would've picked to win the amount of games that we did," Gordon said. "It didn't just take coaching Xs and Os, it took the players buying into the system that we play and being accountable to each other. That's kind of the last step in my development as a coach in refining the team chemistry part of it - how to get the guys to want to play for each other.
"I've been able to find what works and doesn't work and been able to do it on a small stage and not have to have the growing pains, hopefully, at the NHL level."
Scott Gordon, THN, August 13th.
I do not want to kick too hard at Scott Gordon but between his earlier comments, some mistakes from Fritz to Okposo on an off-wing (now Comeau) combined with so many high percentage shots against (and MacDonald giving an incredible effort) things should be better.
A lot of things go beyond coaching as part of the clubs record, some do not.