Islanders 5, Penguins 4 (OT): Again with the hard way

9 months ago  /  Lighthouse Hockey

That’s just a beautiful shot. | Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images


Oh look, another two-goal lead to cough up. The New York Islanders went to Pittsburgh and secured the two points they needed but my god. My god.
It’s no longer even funny in a gallows humor kind of way (or is it?), as they once again blew a two-goal third-period lead before salvaging the game with Adam Pelech’s overtime goal. The Penguins lost the game at home, but they come away feeling good thanks to their comeback to get a regulation point.
[NHL Gamecenter | Game Summary | Event Summary | Natural Stat Trick]
They did some good things. Had a good first period despite exiting it trailing 1-0. Responded well in the second, initiated by Brock Nelson hilariously making both Penguins Swedish blueliners look like pee wee defenders.


The dekes tho! pic.twitter.com/HgorcS9gar— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) February 21, 2024




Then Simon Holmstrom made Erik Karlsson look foolish (again) behind the Pens net to provide a 3-1 lead.


Just tapppp it in. pic.twitter.com/XXgWYwpI11— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) February 21, 2024




After Patrick Roy lost a coach’s challenge — insisting afterward the Isles were right to challenge — on the Penguins’ second goal late in the second, they killed the ensuing power play, then regained the two-goal lead with 9:18 left in the third after a nice forecheck by Mat Barzal led to a setup for Mike Reilly.


REILLY!!!! pic.twitter.com/crkc30LoKO— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) February 21, 2024




But they coughed that up, with Reilly inexplicably double-teaming Evgeni Malkin in the corner, leaving his man wide open.


THE DOC IS IN! pic.twitter.com/LJN8KPoF0P— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) February 21, 2024




They ultimately needed Pelech — Adam Pelech?! — to be the overtime hero. Asked to describe the goal, he said he “had a ton of speed.”


PELECH WINS IT! pic.twitter.com/c7S4ICtb7f— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) February 21, 2024




That was at least funny though, because Pens stalwarts Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang each just kind of watched as Pelech rushed straight into the slot for an uncontested shot. I laugh at their peril only because I can identify with it.


Sidney Crosby, on overtime: "It's hard, we're kind of in between changes and obviously you don't want to give up the line like that. Yeah, it's just tough. Have to look at it. Typically, you don't like to let a guy skate in like that, but we were in between line changes, too."— Pens Inside Scoop (@PensInsideScoop) February 21, 2024




Post-game quotes from the OT hero and the coach underline the madness of this team right now and...well, all season really:

Pelech: “Picking up a point, then two and none every other night just isn’t enough right now. So, it’s great to get this win and, hopefully, it’s the start of something bigger.”
Roy: “I just thought that we were not as focused as we were for some reason. ... I thought we started pretty well. I mean it’s funny how this game went. We dominate them. They barely have [any] chances until they scored that second goal.”
Barzal: “We really gotta figure it out. ... It’s little things we have to get rid of.”

Agreed, they can’t keep doing this, hopefully it’s the start...but we keep waiting for that start.
And then the focus — THE FOCUS! THE FOCUS? How can this team still not focus on the task at hand, is what I’m saying. Especially against opponents that are both 1) flawed and 2) competing with you for the very thing you want.
A month into the coaching change, with a bye week thrown in, it’s amazing how quickly they can go from “Man, is this team different?” to “Man, is this team just inherently stupid?”
I mean I know, I know, shame on me — I know very well the new coach bounce, know it well enough where I should not be fooled. I think because they were doing some puzzling things under Lane Lambert that he wouldn’t change, and because Roy came in with a clearly different approach (and called out their unsustainable flaws), and because the team responded to him, I fell for...oh god, those are all the classic signs, aren’t they?
This team may yet be capable (there I go again!) of being different. But as Barzal and Pelech implied afterward, if they can’t get rid of these habits like right now, there’s no point in even fools like me maintaining hope.
Injury Concern
Casey Cizikas suffered a non-age-related injury, leaving the game in the third after a puck off the hand. No update afterward, so I hear Kyle MacLean’s music.
Up Next
Speaking of new coach bounces, the Isles head to St. Louis for a very winnable (which means they’ll lose) game Thursday against the Blues, who are likewise up and down....

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