Happy Halloween, Islanders Country.
I’ll admit it. The three-game losing streak put a scare into me. I know I wasn’t alone, and you know what, I think it was justified. The new coach was talking about needing work ethic and commitment. The urgency was high, yet the losing streak reached three, and the upcoming schedule was daunting.
The fanbase was worried that, like last year, the team would be haunted by its offensive shortcomings and find itself buried in the standings before finding its stride. But then, Sorokin shut out the Rangers, the offense clicked in Carolina, and a thrilling comeback got UBS Arena rocking, as few games have.
A week ago, even the most optimistic Isles fans didn't see these three wins coming. The hope was to merely stabilize things; instead, Lane Lambert's team is thriving. It was quite the week. The tricky road ahead turned into a treat.
Coming up, Barzal keeps dishing out the assists, and Bailey’s ceremony was 1,000% class. Plus, Glenn Resch reveals how he became Chico, first time/long times for three-goal comebacks, a Ranger milestone goal comes late in an Isles blowout, and those scary warmup jerseys the team once wore.
Let’s dive in.
📰 NEWS: The Islanders were off on Sunday, getting a rest day after winning back-to-back games against the Carolina Hurricanes and Colorado Avalanche. The team is back on the ice today for practice before their three-game road trip starts tomorrow night in Chicago.
◾️ BEAT THE STREAK: After Casey Cizikas was sent to the box near the end of the first period, Colorado’s Evan Rodrigues scored on the power-play early in the second period to snap their streak of going eight games to start the season without allowing a power-play goal, which was an NHL record. The Isles played 51:16 short-handed this season before allowing a goal. Pretty remarkable. The PK is 30-for-31. Now if they can only get the PP going
◾️ BROCKTOBER ENDS ON HIGH NOTE: As Andrew Gross writes in Newsday, fans tend to keep closer tabs on Brock Nelson’s success in October than the veteran center does himself.
The team’s leading goal scorer last season, Nelson, was scoreless for the year and ‘Brocktober’ until two goals on Friday night in Carolina. He added an empty netter on Saturday before the calendar flips.
“I hear it a lot,” Nelson said. “But, no, even last year, I don’t know what the numbers would have been, it probably wasn’t my best month. I think it’s just a fun thing for the fans to have a good time with it. Whenever it started, I think they enjoyed it and try to carry it on.”
“The calendar keeps going for me.”
◾️ GROWING PAINS: In The Athletic, Kevin Kurz wrote about the adjustment period the team knew they would go through under new head coach Lane Lambert. But as the comfort level grows, the results are starting to follow.
Mathew Barzal is still without a goal but now has 10 assists in the first nine games of the season and became the first Islander since D Vladimir Malakhov (1993-94; 11 assists) with at least ten assists through the team’s first nine games. The last one was the most impressive. Barzal found D Scott Mayfield creeping in behind the Avs defense for the game-tying goal.
👏🏻 ALL HAIL BAILS: If you didn’t see it live, the pre-game ceremony celebrating Josh Bailey’s 1000th career game was very well done. Anders Lee and Brock Nelson presented him with a team-signed “1,000” jersey and a painting capturing career highlights. The ceremony started with a video tribute featuring cameos from teammates and former teammates including John Tavares, Kyle Okposo, and Travis Hamonic.
◾️ Over on Eyes on Isles, they argue that Bailey’s spot in the team’s Hall of Fame should be secure after reaching the rare milestone, all with the same team.
⏭ NEXT UP: The Islanders start a three-game road trip in Chicago when they take on the Blackhawks on Tuesday night. Face-off is set for 8:30 PM.
📊 STANDINGS:
🕺70’s NIGHT: Saturday’s game was the third sell-out of the season and was also 70’s night, the first of decade-themed games during the 50th Anniversary season. Popcorn was 75¢, the playlist sounded like Studio 54, and polaroids were being taken (and shaken) all night long.
In attendance was Glenn ‘Chico’ Resch, a beloved and sometimes underrated part of Islanders’ history and a member of the 1980 Stanley Cup team. Chico met with Shannon Hogan and Butch Goring before the game and talked about two of the best things that ever happened to him - his nickname and painting his mask.
📚 SOUND SMART: Wins like Saturday are special. Three-goal comebacks don’t happen often. And three-goal comebacks at home in regulation really don’t happen often. Per Eric Hornick in The Skinny, here are the first time long times for three-goal Islanders comebacks:
First win since 11/18/19 in Philadelphia (4-3 SOW)
First win at home since 2/8/18 vs. Detroit (6-5 in OT in Brooklyn)
First win in regulation since 3/10/14 in Vancouver (7-4)
First win in regulation at home since 10/23/1984 vs. Vancouver (6-5).
🗓 THIS DATE IN ISLANDERS HISTORY: On October 31, 1987, the Islanders scored the first eight goals in an 8-2 trouncing of the New York Rangers at the Nassau Coliseum. Mikko Makela scored twice on his way to a 36-goal season along with five other Islanders, including rookie Derek King who registered his first NHL goal at 15:55 of the second period to make it 6-0.
But the game's headline was the great Marcel Dionne, who finished his Hall-of-Fame career with the Rangers. Dionne recorded his 700th NHL goal at 19:27 of the third period, beating Kelly Hrudey from a sharp angle.
🔗 Islanders storm back to win third straight: ‘It’s coming together pretty well’ by Kevin Kurz, The Athletic “The Islanders almost certainly knew many weeks ago that it was going to take some time adjusting to this new style of play under their first-year head coach.”
🔗 Brock Nelson finishes October strong for Islanders by Andrew Gross, Newsday “Another Brocktober has come to an end and, once again, Brock Nelson is among the Islanders’ leaders in goals and points. The third period of the last two games let him close out the month on a strong note.”
And we leave you with this…do you remember the scariest Islanders jersey? No, not the Fisherman or the re-imagined fisherman. Back in 2009, the team wore these Halloween jerseys during pre-game warmups. Spectacular? No Spooktacular? Yes.
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