You don’t need to be an analytics expert to know that the Islanders are having trouble keeping the puck out of their net. The team seems to have heard fan requests to restore the glory of the Dynasty Era and is trying to accomplish this by returning scoring rates to what they were in the 80s. They are third in the league in goals scored but have allowed more goals than any other team. If they want to claim a playoff spot, the team will have to quickly figure out how to limit shots and goals against.



Defense is notoriously difficult to evaluate, no matter whether you rely on stats or the eye test. Good defense is often about the play that doesn’t happen rather than the one that does. Good gap control or a smart stick check can eliminate a threat without being particularly obvious to the viewer or the spreadsheet. But certain tools, particularly neutral zone and pass tracking, can offer critical insights into exactly what’s happening.



I like to break...