The New York Islanders have blown enough third-period leads this season that it’s hard to find the one that has been the worst, gut-wrenching, season-defining defeat. There’s the Oct. 30 loss to the Detroit Red Wings, a game where they led 2-0 early in the third but ended up losing 4-3 in overtime. Then there was the Nov. 4 defeat to the Carolina Hurricanes where they led 3-0 and lost 4-3 in overtime. Recently, there were the 4-3 losses on back-to-back nights against the Vancouver Canucks and Seattle Kraken on Nov. 16 and 17, both losses coming in overtime.
Related: 3 Takeaways From Islanders’ 1-0 Shootout Loss vs Flyers
The recent loss on Nov. 28 to the New Jersey Devils might take the cake. They had a 4-2 lead and despite an injury-riddled defense and the past collapses on the minds of many, this looked like the game the Islanders would close out to preserve their point streak. They lost 5-4 and this time, ended up without a point as the final goal was scored in the last minute of play.
The loss leaves the Islanders with an 8-7-6 record and in fifth place in the Metropolitan Division, which doesn’t doom them for the season but losses like this one are tough to come back from. The Islanders were clicking in the second period with three goals and a strong penalty kill to wrap up the period yet ended up on the losing end. The recent collapse exposed weaknesses that have plagued this team throughout the season and provided a grim outlook for the rest of the season.
Another Eerily Similar Third Period Collapse
In what has been a recurring theme this season, the Islanders blew a third-period lead with undisciplined play, defensive breakdowns, and a poor penalty kill being their undoing. All three issues were strengths of the roster last season, but this season, have hurt them time and time again.
With a 4-3 lead, the Islanders went to the power play with Jesper Bratt taking an interference penalty and it was a prime opportunity for them to put the game away. A minute later, Mathew Barzal took a hooking penalty, negating the power play and allowing the Devils to operate with more open ice. Twenty-one seconds after the Barzal penalty, Simon Holmstrom went to the box with a tripping penalty. The four-on-three power play for the Devils led to the inevitable, a goal that tied up the game 4-4 with nine minutes left in the game.
That sequence alone speaks volumes for how far the Islanders have fallen from a discipline standpoint. They weren’t done. With two minutes remaining, Anders Lee, who took a big hit from Brendan Smith, dropped the gloves and fought the Devils defenseman, resulting in a penalty that prevented him from stepping on the ice for the rest of the game. Sure, Lee wanted to send a message and rally the bench but the decision to start the fight left the Islanders without a valued defensive forward for the final minute, a minute where the Devils scored the game-winning goal.
Along with the lack of discipline came the lack of defense in this game. With Adam Pelech and Sebastian Aho both out with injuries, all eyes were on Grant Hutton, who was called up from the Bridgeport Islanders, and Mike Rielly who was acquired earlier in the week. The hope was that both skaters would help solidify the defense. They didn’t help, notably with Reilly on the ice for two of the Devils goals in this game including the first goal where his turnover resulted in an easy rush chance for Michael McLeod.
It wasn’t just the Hutton-Reilly pairing that cost the Islanders. On the contrary, both skaters played minimal roles as the third-pair options. Instead, this game saw Scott Mayfield, an otherwise reliable defenseman, out of position multiple times, including the Jack Hughes goal that made the game 4-3. Likewise, the Alexander Romanov and Ryan Pulock pair was often caught out of position as the two struggled to communicate. Lastly, the unit had a hard time moving the puck up ice and more importantly, exiting the puck out of the defensive zone, allowing the Devils to find more scoring chances and generate 33 shots on the net.
For years, it’s been a given that the Islanders could close out games. They were built on defense and goaltending and a two-goal lead was a safe one, especially when the puck dropped in the third period. This season, that hasn’t been the case. It’s an issue that can be pinned on the roster, the coaching staff, and the front office but ultimately, it’s something that continues to haunt them and leave them middling in the Metropolitan Division.
Sorokin Struggles Again
It looked like Ilya Sorokin turned a corner on the season. On Nov. 22, he saved 34 of the 36 shots he faced to allow the Islanders to defeat the Philadephia Flyers 3-2. While he ended up on the losing end of his next start, he stopped all 40 shots he faced in the Nov. 25 shootout loss to the Flyers. Sorokin is one of the elite goaltenders in the NHL and it looked like he was ready to prove why against the Devils and their potent offense.
Early on, he was playing lights out and was ready to lead the Islanders to a much-needed victory. Sorokin saved 16 of the 18 shots he faced through the first two periods and often compensated for the errors of the defense. Then the clock struck midnight or more accurately for the Islanders, the third period began. The Devils fired 15 shots on the net in the final period of play but Sorokin wasn’t covering up the puck and it allowed the opposition to find plenty of second-chance opportunities. He allowed three goals in the period and five on the night to end up once again on the losing end.
The defense deserves plenty of blame for the recent loss and a lot of the losses from this season. However, considering Sorokin is a Vezina Trophy-caliber goaltender, some of these performances have to start falling on him. He’s allowed four goals or more eight times this season and five goals or more three times. Elite goaltenders eliminate great offenses and while Sorokin has two shutouts this season, he’s struggled otherwise. The Islanders have a reliable backup in Semyon Varlamov and the question eventually becomes when he will start splitting starts in the net, especially with the season spiraling out of control as it has in the past month.
Islanders Played To the Devils’ Strengths
The Devils have gotten off to a slow start this season with a 10-9-1 record and their defense looking noticeably worse than last season. That said, they had Hughes and Nico Hischier back in the lineup for this game and a fast-paced game was anticipated. The Devils took the league by storm with their ability to win on the rush and gash teams with speed with Hughes and Hischier leading the way and the Islanders had to brace themselves to stop them.
From the Islanders’ perspective, this would be the type of game where ideally, they’d slow things down to win. The chip and chase, forechecking from the forwards, and a defense-first style would allow them to control and win this game. The Islanders chose to fight fire with fire and try to beat the Devils at their own game.
The speed in this game allowed the Devils to find plenty of scoring chances and not only create open shots on the rush but also on cross-ice passes in the offensive zone. It’s how McLeod scored his goal and how Hughes found Dawson Mercer for the Devils’ second goal in the game. It’s also how Hughes scored in the third period and ultimately how the Islanders ended up on the losing end of a 5-4 game. This was a game that required the Islanders to adapt and specifically avoid falling into the trap of their opponents and they failed to do so, resulting in the heart-breaking defeat.
Barzal’s Big Night
The bright spot from the game speeding up is that it played to Barzal’s skillsets. The open ice and room to operate allowed him to have a three-point night and his best game of the season.
In the first period, his puck movement allowed the Islanders to get on the board and score on the power play, providing a boost to a unit that looked hapless in the Nov. 25 shutout loss to the Flyers. A defensive breakdown by the Devils and a great outlet pass by Lee allowed him a breakaway chance and he took advantage to score his sixth goal of the season. Then came his best play of the game as he took a quick Romanov pass and flicked it to Jean-Gabriel Pageau, allowing him to find the back of the net.
With the three-point performance, Barzal has six goals and 13 assists. Along with leading the Islanders in assists, his 19 points are also a team-high this season. While the team has struggled, he’s putting together one of the best seasons of his career and could help snap the team out of their slump with his elite play on the offensive end.
Other Takeaways From The Islanders’ Loss
The overall takeaways are rather grim so the remaining ones will look at some of the bright spots in the Islanders’ performance. After all, they scored four goals, something they’ve only done four times previously this season.
- Pageau scored his first goal of the season and finally has the monkey off his back. The hope is that he can get on a run and add much-needed scoring depth to the forward unit.
- Cal Clutterbuck, who played in his 1,000th career game last week, scored in this game. It wasn’t the best goal but he slipped the puck into the back of the net for his third of the season.
- Noah Dobson had two assists and has 13 on the season which is tied with Barzal for the team lead. He’s made his mark as the Islanders’ best two-way defenseman and needs to remain an active player from the point to help this team improve.
What’s Next For The Islanders
The road trip continues as the Islanders face the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday, who are coming off a 4-1 win over the Flyers, and then face the Florida Panthers on Saturday. The Hurricanes and Panthers are two of the best teams in the Eastern Conference and the task for the Islanders to turn around their season doesn’t get any easier.
The Islanders are closing out a month that has been a disaster. They’ve gone 4-5-4 in November and have struggled on both ends of the ice in the process. The question is at what point do things change, if at all? Will the Islanders remain a .500 team the rest of the season and if so, can they go all-in again and make a big trade to make a push for the playoffs? Can they start a rebuild with a roster that isn’t suited to do so? Do they follow the lead of the Edmonton Oilers and the Minnesota Wild by making a head coaching change to inject life into the team? The bottom line is that this team continues to stumble and unless they turn things around, this season will be another lost one.