IMPACT: Can the Islanders New Lines Featuring Cal Ritchie and Bo Horvat SPARK Playoff PUSH?

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One young islander's player is really stepped up as game as of late and Patrick Wad decided

to reward him.

We'll talk about that and how it impacts the team's playoff chances next on this bonus episode

of Lockdown Islanders.

For Lockdown Islanders, your daily podcast on the New York Islander, part of the Lockdown

Podcast Network, your team every day.

Welcome everybody to this bonus episode of the Lockdown Islanders Podcast, part of the

Lockdown Podcast Network, your team every day.

I want to thank everyone who makes Lockdown Islanders your first listen every day.

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helping to make Lockdown the number one sports podcast network.

I'm Gil Martin.

I've been covering the New York Islanders for two decades and I wrote the book Ice Wars

on the history of the Islanders rivalry with the Rangers from 1972 to the modern era.

So glad that you could join us today to talk a little Islanders hockey.

We've got a lot to discuss on today's show Patrick Wad announcing new line combinations.

We'll talk about that and the player that in part, it is designed to reward for his

improved play as of late will discuss the player, what he's done better and how that

impacts the team going forward.

Let's start with the new line combinations themselves and again, we know every dayers

are very familiar with the fact that Patrick Wad juggles these lines all the time.

And there are things I like about these lines and things I don't like about these lines,

but let's first spell them out in practice on Thursday and the Islanders are back home

after the four game road trips.

So they were able to practice on Thursday at Northwell Health Ice Center.

The line combinations, top line, Bohorvat, Emil Heinemann, Kalrichi, second line, Braden

Shen, centering Andre Palat and Matthew Barzall, third line remains intact and I think

it will for a while because of chemistry.

That is J.G. Pazzo, Anders Lee and Simon Holmstrom, and then the fourth line remains Casey Sezikis

centering Max Chavinov and Mark Gakum.

You have Kyle McLean and Anthony Duclair as your extra forwards.

Then on the blue line, it's Schaefer and Polock, Pelik and DiAngelo, Susie and Mayfield, Adam

Bocvest, the extra defenseman and the goalie for Friday will be Ilya Serokin, obviously

backed up by David Riddick.

And the thing that I notice about the new line combinations, obviously you have a switch

with Matthew Barzall and Kalrichi.

So Barzall drops down to the second line.

You are now separating the duo of Horvat and Barzall and Kalrichi is rewarded for his

better play by moving up to the top line.

I think that Patrick Watt is trying to rekindle some of the chemistry that early in the season

was so productive between Bo Horvat and Emil Heinemann.

And we'll see whether or not Heinemann can get back on track.

Not thrilled with the second line of Shen, Palat and Barzall, only because neither of those

other two players have the speed to keep up with Barzi and what he's capable of doing.

And I don't view either Palat or Shen quite honestly as second line players at this stages

of their career.

I think Shen is closer.

I think ideally he's a 3C at this point in his career, but you have Pazzo there, you

have Susieckis on the fourth line.

So by default, you end up with Braden Shen as your 2C.

And again, Palat to me at this stage of his career, especially, just screams out third

or fourth line type of player.

But again, with Kyle Palmeri out for the year, and based on the overall lack of top six

talent on this Islander's roster, I understand why you have Palat out there.

Now I would almost prefer switching Palat and Shabbanov just to give Shabbie a chance

to work with Barzall and Shen and just see how that plays out.

I don't think Shabbanov's game and size are well suited to playing a fourth line role.

And again, with Shabbie, you kind of have that issue where he's not playing well enough

to be in the top six or maybe even the top nine.

But his style isn't suited for the fourth line and he becomes a player without a home.

I would still give Shabbie a shot on the second line, move Palat down to the fourth line.

I think his style would be more effective there and then, you know, if you still think

he's good on the second power play unit, you could still put him there.

And again, we know Patrick Wah, he is juggling lines constantly, even within a game, let alone

within a week or, you know, a month, those lineups are changing all the time.

So those are the changes being made by the New York Islanders and Patrick Wah right now.

And feel free to chime in in the comments as to what you think about these line combinations.

Obviously with the new addition of Braden Shen trying to find the right linemates for him

is also part of the process and as far as Shen with Barzal is concerned.

I don't mind that duo, but I think when you add Palat, another older, slower player,

I think that kind of holds Barzal back.

I think Shen and Palat or, excuse me, Shen and Barzal or Palat and Barzal could work.

But both of them together with Barzal changes the dynamic of the whole line.

And I would prefer Shen with Barzal only because I think Shen would go to the net.

Shen would be a guy who could play the role that Anders Lee played better a few years ago,

where he can go to the net, get rebounds, deflections, be maybe even somewhat of the bumper

that Bo Horvat tends to be, I think you have more options with Shen than with Palat.

Again, up to Patrick Wah, I hope he finds a combination that works,

but this is the lineup that we expect heading into Friday night's game.

And we'd love to hear your thoughts about it.

But what about Cal Richie and his impact on the team he has played better as of late

will break down his performance and how it helps the Islanders next on today's mocked on Islanders podcast.

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Cal Richie is developing into a better player.

And look, we knew it would take time.

There's no question that your average NHL rookie.

And remember, what did Richie have?

Seven games of NHL experience before this year.

Yeah, he scored his first NHL goal.

Yes, it was against the Islanders.

But again, seven games of NHL experience for a 20-year-old

is not someone who you expect to just step in and play his, you know,

you know what, often just be at his potential right away.

And the Cal Richie deal, great.

Now he's 21.

And obviously, he is considered a big part of this team's youth movement

when and if they ever actually follow through with that.

But he is part of the future of this team.

Now, we had a lower body injury early in the season,

cost him a little bit of time, started the season in Bridgeport,

but only played there for three games and they called him up.

And he had four goals and eight points through his first 28 games,

played all up and down the line up.

First line, second line, fourth line, third line, he was everywhere.

But he's been more top six in the last 20 games.

And at this point, in the last 20 games, four goals, 11 points.

So a little better than a point of game.

Let's say that's about a 46, 47 point average over the course of a season.

And again, he's still learning.

His ice time is up.

He's at 15 minutes of game as opposed to 12, 54 in his first 28 games.

Now, Richie is also getting power play time.

We saw that in the comeback against the Blues,

where he scored one goal on the power play and set up another.

And again, the Islander's power play has been dreadfully inconsistent.

But Richie has been playing down near the goal line

and he did a good job of setting up, if I recall correctly,

both for that goal and then scoring his goal

because he went to the net for a loose puck that was in the crease.

So again, you want to see that.

And now it's for that, Heinemann and Richie.

And I think, first of all, the addition of Braden Shen allows Richie to move to the wing.

That gives him a little less defensive responsibility.

I think that's important for him at this stage of his career.

He still has to back check, but the center out of the forwards is always the first guy back.

Whereas a wing, it's a little less urgent than he be the first guy back.

Still has to play defense.

But the thing I love about Richie is his vision, the way he sees the ice.

And that's critical for this Islander's team that lacks elite offensive talent.

And having a guy like Cal Richie starting to develop and becoming more consistent

and establishing himself in the top six will have a big impact.

Hopefully his passing and his ability to see the ice can help the power play.

The power play as we know needs all the help it can get.

And I think one of the keys is to build on those two goals that they had in the four minute power play against the blues and get some momentum.

And like I said, Richie was right in the thick of it.

And whether he's on the top line or the second line or even the third getting Cal Richie to be a 50 55 point player.

And if he can finish strong, not that he's going to reach 50 points this year.

But if he can be on that pace for the last 18 games or so of the season.

And then more importantly, if the Islanders make it in the playoffs, that has a big impact.

And I could see down the road.

I think, for example, that Cal Richie and Simon Holmstrom could work really well together, probably on a second line, maybe a year or two down the road where Richie would be the second line center.

You'd have Holmstrom on one wing player.

Maybe it's a Eclan on the other wing again, or maybe it's Iserman where a few years down the road from that, but I could see that being a really solid second line for the New York Islanders once some of these prospects start to develop.

And we know how badly the Islanders need scoring depth and getting Richie up to speed is great and got to also report.

And again, we mentioned both the pros and cons of the Braden Shen deal.

But according to a number of reports, Shen is already kind of taking Cal Richie under his wing, teaching him some of the finer points of the game, how to prepare what he has to do.

Playing a 200 foot game, adding some physicality, just the little things that make a difference in the NHL and hopefully Cal Richie can learn a lot from Braden Shen and raise up his game as a result of being teammates with him.

I think Bo Horvatt can also be a bit of a mentor for Cal Richie, and now he'll be on a line with Richie with Horvatt Richie and Heinemann, which I think can work and if Richie who sees the ice really well can help Heinemann get back on track, because we've already seen Heinemann and the good chemistry he had early in the season with Horvatt if you add Richie who's a good passer.

Who sees the ice well, maybe just maybe this line would have the potential to really jumpstart the Islander's offense just a little bit.

Now the power play, we mentioned how they have struggled over the course of the year, they're up to 29th in the league, they were 32nd dead last just over the weekend.

So just the play against the blues alone help raise the power plays ranking and then goal total the Islanders are creeping up there at 21st, but again, if you can get 21st in goal scored up to let's say even 16, which would put them right in the middle of the league, I think that would be a really good situation.

And again, I think the development of a young player like Cal Richie is critical so Richie taking on a bigger role now and hopefully that helps him gain the confidence he needs and the experience he needs to take to continue his development and eventually firmly establish himself permanently in the New York Islanders top six and we'll see how that all plays out.

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This should be a whole lot of fun and if you use the code March, you'll get your first month free so head to locked on Islanders dot supercast dot com for more information or check out the lake in the show notes.

Don't forget we will be back with our regular Friday episode so make sure you join us for that we will have a preview of both of this weekend's games against the flames and the Kings plus we'll talk a little bit about two potential former draft picks who could become free agents if Matthew Darsch doesn't sign them will have more on that on this show as well until then have a great day everybody stay safe.

Of course, let's go Islanders.