Isles have allowed the fewest goals this season after allowing BY FAR the most last season.
Coaching matters.
**** you Hexy.
Islander goalies have a .922 S%, some of that is better play in front of them, some of that is rebound by Griesse and Lehner.
Flyers played top flight defense under Hakstol, among the leaders in fewest scoring chances allowed, Islanders under Weight were putrid on defense.
So doubt Trotz would have made a big difference here like he has on the Islanders.
Hakstol played Filppula, Trotz plays Filppula (43.5 Corsi, E +/- -7.0) 14 minutes a night.
Hakstol played Weise/Lehtera, Trotz plays Komarov (42.0 Corsi, E +/- -8.0) 14 minutes a night.
Hakstol played MacDonald, Trotz plays Leddy (44.3 Corsi, E +/- -6.0) 22 minutes a night
Hakstol played Hagg, Trotz plays Pulock (44.9 Corsi, E +/- -1.8) 22 1/2 minutes a night
As far as playing young players, Trotz is playing Barzal (21) duh, Beauvillier (21) [3rd season starting].
Under 25 players, Dal Colle (22), played 9 games, Ho-Sang (23) played 10 games, Pulock (24) [2nd year after 3 AHL campaigns), Pelech (24) [3rd season].
Islanders are an experienced team with most of the starters between 27-30 years old.
Boychuck (35), Filppula (34), Komarov (32), Clutterbuck (31), Ladd (33) has been injured for most of the season.
Islanders remind me of the Flyers in Haktsol's first season, basically a few talented players, smoke and mirrors and carried by Mason.
Just don't think this is sustainable in the long haul, a lot of pluggers on this team. The kind of players the Hive loves to hate.