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Good Morning, Islanders Country.
Last night was what they call a scheduled loss.
A back-up to the back-up’s backup starting on the road against the Stanley Cup champions in the second half of a back-to-back. The Isles winning streak wasn’t supposed to reach eight, but the way things have been going, you knew they would make and keep things interesting - and they did.
Holding their breath waiting for news on Mathew Barzal and Scott Mayfield, the underlying game stats still showed the Isles had more high-danger shots and scoring chances than the Panthers. Truth be told, though Patrick Roy and teammates said Jakub Skarek gave them a chance to win, it’s a game they could have earned a point in if Ilya Sorokin or Marcus Hogberg were in net, even with some shaky defensive play and Florida’s top tier execution.
Things have simultaneously been going for and against the Islanders for two very eventful, thrilling, and absurd weeks. For every standout performance by a new addition, there has been another injury and another reason to cast doubt as to whether the seven-game winning streak will lead to anything more than forcing GM Lou Lamoriello to stand pat at the deadline. They’ve been lucky and unlucky.
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