Good Morning, Islanders Country.
When you’re in the midst of a prolonged losing streak, it’s hard to make the case that you’re playing well enough to win, but last night in Seattle was the closest the Islanders have come to earning that result.
It’s come to the point where they have no choice but to “celebrate” a near-win because it’s the only thing that can keep this group motivated and focused on improving their performance, believing things are about to turn around.
“The effort is there every night. For whatever reason, we're not getting rewarded. There's only one thing to do, and that's to keep going until you start to, and then it can change quickly.” - Lane Lambert
For the first time this season, they survived O.T. and went to a shootout. After Bo Horvat scored, they were a Semyon Varlamov save away from breaking their losing streak. It didn’t happen. Kyle Palmieri, Brock Nelson, and JG Pageau all had chances to win the game with a goal. It didn’t happen.
Oliver Wahlstrom prolonged the game by matching Jordan Eberle’s goal, but after Kailer Yamamoto scored, Noah Dobson was stoned by Philipp Grubauer, and the losing streak painfully hit seven (0-4-3).
The Islanders had a 3-2 lead early in the third after Noah Dobson scored on the power-play, but that third-period lead only lasted 3:02. Anders Lee took a penalty, and Kailer Yamamoto tied the game with the Kraken’s third PPG of the game.
It marked the first time in franchise history the team has allowed three power-play goals in consecutive nights, part of a horrid stretch of penalty killing (12-for-24) that is costing them games and crucial points.
“We never throw up our hands. It’s frustrating, for sure,” said Lee. “But there's no quit in this team, there's no quit in the group. That's why we're playing good hockey; it's just not getting the results.”
There’s one more game left on this four-game road trip. One more chance to get a result with a win vs. Calgary on Saturday would send them home with a 1-1-2 record and perhaps a feeling that things will change.
Coming up, Zeeker scores his centennial goal, and Anders Lee gives his reason for why the team is taking so many penalties. Plus, the Isles aren’t giving up many goals at even strength, Mike Bossy ties a hat-trick record, and Adam Pelech takes things out on a water bottle.
Let’s dive in.
🏒 IN SHORT: Kailer Yamamoto tied the game in the third period and the deciding goal in the eighth round of a shootout, lifting the Seattle Kraken to a 4-3 win over the Islanders on Thursday night. Matty Beniers and Alex Wennberg also scored power-play goals, and Philip Grubauer made 20 saves for the Kraken (6-8-4). Anders Lee scored his second of the season on the power play, and Casey Cizikas scored his 100th career goal. Noah Dobson also scored on the power play, and Mathew Barzal added a pair of assists. Semyon Varlamov made 29 saves for the Islanders (5-6-5), who have allowed 12 power-play goals in 24 chances during their seven-game losing streak (0-4-3).
KEY MOMENT(s):
🔷 Anders Lee scored a desperately needed goal on the power play to give the Isles a 1-0 lead. Bo Horvat found the captain’s stick as he was strong enough to keep it in position and deflect the puck into the net. The goal marked the 11th time in 15 games the Islanders scored the opening goal.
🔶 Dobson put the Islanders in front 3-2 on a power play at 1:48 of the third period, one-timing Barzal’s feed from the point past Grubauer. For Dobson, it was his 35th career goal, tying Johnny Boychuk for 10th place among defensemen.
🔻 Yamamoto tied it at 3 at 4:50 of the third, taking a pass from Jaden Schwartz and scoring on a backhanded move for his third goal of the season. On the play, Scott Mayfield followed Schwartz in the corner, leaving Yamamoto wide open.
3 REACTIONS
❶ AWFUL STRETCH: “It's been an awful stretch, but there's have been games that we've played better than we have when were winning,” Anders Lee said. “A lot of our stuff in the neutral zone, five on five, we're getting out better, we're doing a lot of these things that are building our game. We just have a little bit of Achilles heel right now, and it's costing us.”
❷ EVERYTHING IS GOING IN: “We’re letting teams back into games because of our kill right now,” Casey Cizikas said. “We take a lot of pride in what we do, but we’re battling out there. We’re working, and sometimes it just feels like everything is going in.”
❸ POWER PLAY A POSITIVE: “It's obviously been a positive,” defenseman Noah Dobson said. “When things aren't going well, you got to find ways to use the power play to get goals, especially on the road. It's been a positive I think we're just getting pucks to the net and keeping it simple. We just have to keep with it and try and keep building some momentum.”
GAME IMPACT SCORE
DESERVE TO WIN O’METER
⏭ NEXT UP: The Islanders include their four-game road trip in Calgary on Saturday night with an east coast friendly 7:00 PM EST start time.
📊 STANDINGS:
📰 NEWS: Before the game, head coach Lane Lambert announced that Matt Martin was out of the lineup with an upper-body injury and that Julian Gauthier was sick.
NOT TRYING TO BE DUMB
When you’re giving up power-play goals at the clip the Islanders have, the easiest way to prevent it is to stay out of the box. While some penalties have been undisciplined, captain Anders Lee insisted that some are just the byproduct of playing hard, like his third-period penalty.
“You guys have seen how they’re calling these things,” Lee said following the loss. “Some are battles and they’re calling them. Some are penalties and it is what it is. You can go out there and play hard, control [what you can].
“No one’s going out there trying to be dumb. Right now it’s just ending up in the back of our net.”
ZEEKER SCORES HIS 100TH
Casey Cizikas scored a beautifully executed goal in the second period to tie the game at two. Defenseman Ryan Pulock made an outlet pass to Mathew Barzal, who came down the right side and slid a pass between two defenders to Cizikas, who went backhand and five-hole for the goal. For Cizikas, it was his 100th career goal, the 34th player in franchise history to hit that mark.
📚 SOUND SMART: Per Eric Hornick in The Skinny, The Isles have allowed eight power-play goals in a three-game span for the first time since December 17-21, 2009, when the Rangers, Montreal, and TB also scored eight power-play goals.
◾️ The Isles have scored multiple power play goals on consecutive nights for the first time since October 10-11, 2014 – a home/home series with Carolina.
◾️ Not counting the shootout, the Isles have allowed 11 goals on this road trip. Only one has been scored at 5-on-5. The Isles have allowed 8 power-play goals, a 3-on-3 OT goal, and a shorthanded -empty netter.
🎥 ISLES REWIND: On November 17, 1984, the Islanders routed the rival New York Rangers 10-4 at the Nassau Coliseum. In the lopsided victory, Mike Bossy scored the 32nd hat trick of his career, tying Phil Esposito for the most in NHL history, while Bryan Trottier added four assists.
🎧 Locked on Islanders Podcast with Gil Martin - The New York Islanders Losing Streak Hits 7 as they Lose in a Shootout In Seattle
🔗 Anders Lee gives another reason for Islanders’ slew of penalties by Ethan Sears, New York Post “The Islanders can’t seem to stop taking penalties, but Anders Lee feels they are doing the right things and getting sent to the box anyway.”
And we leave you with this ….Adam Pelech taking out his frustration on a water bottle … twice. It probably resembles some of you when waking up to see the score.
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I haven't commented in a while, so i need to get some things off my chest
First, although Lane Lambert is a "disciple" of Barry Trotz , there is ZERO reason to believe he can lead a team , help a team learn, know how to react when things are bad , play better when things are going well, etc. Barry knew how to do those things. It seems now that Lane was more along for the ride when Trotz was here than soaking in the Trotz wisdom. What I'm trying to say is.... there MUST be someone better out there to lead this squad. Lane is NOT the one, nor are his assistants.
Secondly, Zeeker, who I'd rather go back to calling him Casey since i don't feel all warm and fuzzy about him anymore since his stupid remarks, thanks for showing us your true colors.
Us, hard working people, who pay damn good money to see our team play, can react to the game and the team in whatever way we see fit (Yay, Boo, He's a bum, the other team stinks, fire the coach, etc. ) . For the fans , it has been a loooooong time since we have "Drank from the Cup". Two deep playoff runs to wet our beak does not give you the right to address our comments like that. How about try harder? How about just play the game you've been (probably over) paid for and shut up? In addition, the intelligent Long Island fan base knows exactly WHEN to chant WHAT they chant. Maybe, Casey, you should listen to the fans...... or just stay home.
Sadly, it looks like the Islanders took Casey's advice and "STAYED HOME" during this horrendous stretch. (Horrendous PK , losing early leads and poor coaching).
They say a vast majority of teams that are in playoff position at Thanksgiving , qualify for the playoffs at the end of the season. The Islanders (probably) won't be in playoff position next week at this time so I ask you... Does this Islanders team even closely resemble a team that can play way above and beyond CONSISTENTLY (because that's what it will take) to become a playoff team this season?
I know, I don't want to say the answer either.
Maybe one of you can lend some insight that I am missing from this team that, if kept intact (players, coaches and all), they can turn this season around before it is too late.
Signed....A disenchanted Islanders fan.