Considering the talent in the Metropolitan division, the New York Islanders have had to play almost every game for the last two months like it was the most important of the season. Every loss is a gift for Philly, Carolina, Washington, Pittsburgh, and Jersey as they seek to bury us in the standings. For the first time in a little while, there is a serious risk of that happening beyond repair.
The boys are certainly looking like they’ve been grinding it out, and not in a hopeful way. They’re not diving for pucks, throwing big hits, or keeping the sparks flying in any particular way. Instead, they are losing puck battles, failing to get pucks on net, and continuing to spend too much time in the box.
Special teams in general were an issue tonight, going 0/5 on the power play and giving up two to the Wild’s unit. Three penalties in the first period made it nearly impossible to gain momentum at any point and began almost immediately with Anders Lee looking off Horvat in front to then crash in at Marc-Andre Fleury. A lot of credit can be given to Fleury for ensuring the Isles never got in this game, and in doing so solidified his spot at number 2 in all-time wins for a goalie. It took me a long time to start liking him, honestly (as an equal-parts Islander and Ovechkin fan growing up), but he is nothing short of stellar in the net and few guys would deserve the honor more than him. Congrats on the record, Fleury, but I’d advise against trying to fight Lee again, eh? We want you to survive a bit longer in the league!
Even after a much-improved 3rd period, which is appreciated, there was not much the Islanders were able to get done. Even when they got a four-minute power-play, they took a penalty only seven seconds into it, marking the 14th time this season they’ve been penalized while on the power play. This team needs to figure out how to put together a full 60 minutes pretty soon, or they will be left in the forgotten halls of fringe playoff teams with no high draft pick and no momentum to build on for next year.
At the end of the day, I think Lane has officially lost the room. This isn’t a terrible roster. This is unmotivated hockey with a hefty serving of shitty line combos and a pinch of systemic collapse. The Wild had space to operate with little pressure in any zone, particularly in front of Sorokin. Ilya was far from the reason for the loss, but he would be pulled from the net to end the game as they have no Varlamov to step in tomorrow night. Ken Appleby finished the game between the pipes, but sadly let up two more goals. The man never had a chance in this game.
The Wild outshot the Islanders 20-3 in the 2nd period alone, giving me flashbacks to the first game against Pitt this season (where they gave up six goals in the 2nd). It’s never ideal to blame it on the coach, as I truly believe the players are the most responsible for what happens in any given game, but these are unhealthy trends for a team that is lucky to be as competitive as the Isles have been. How long does this go on before we become perennial losers again? Who could we get to replace Lambert if he did get fired? It’s hard not to hope for some sort of spark to get us pass the threshold of mediocrity.
The boys have a chance to show some gusto in Winnipeg tomorrow to complete the back-to-back in the Central division. Standing at the top of the league, the Jets will not be an easy match-up. Can the Islanders manage to snag a win on this road trip? Can they keep themselves afloat in the standings before the much-needed All-Star break? We shall see, Isles fans.
The Morning Skate 