Power-play production will eventually be a must if the Islanders are to sustain a run in the NHL playoffs.
That the Islanders were able to push the Capitals to the brink in their best-of-seven first-round series without any consistency on the man advantage does not change that hockey truth.
The Islanders were 1-for-19 (5.2%) in the first four games against the Capitals and were 5-for-35 (14.3%) overall in the postseason, including a four-game win over the Panthers in the best-of-five qualifier, entering Thursday night’s Game 5 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.
That includes going 0-for-5, albeit with 12 power-play shots, as the Capitals staved off elimination by rallying from an early two-goal deficit for a 3-2 win in Tuesday night’s Game 4.