Islanders Gameday News: Ready, aim, frustrate

1 week ago  /  Lighthouse Hockey

Mood. | Photo by Bill Wippert/NHLI via Getty Images


The Islanders visit Buffalo and avoiding a shutout would be progress. The Islanders are in Buffalo Friday night to take on another “bad” team that Steve and the team’s own uninspired construction have conspired to make daunting.
This is not the Gordon years, nor the low-point of the Capuano years, so this unbelievable (yet so believable) scoring slump will break at some point, Brock Nelson will have a two-goal game somewhere, Mat Barzal will have a three-point night sometime, but the damage for a bubble-ceiling team losing “schedule win” games like this in succession will accumulate.
Leave your First Islanders Goal picks here.
Islanders News

The Islanders’ frustration is building, as the results threaten a spiral. [Post]
Previewing tonight: Buffalo is 4-5-1 after the Cup champion Panthers ended their three-game win streak. [Isles] As a reminder, Kyle Okposo is no longer with the Sabres, having taken a trade deadline move to the Panthers to go out on top as Cup champ. Because sometimes good people can have nice things.
We’ve been over this a lot but: while bad luck/shooting percentage may be undermining good underlying 5-on-5 numbers, they’re getting the results they deserve with these unspecial teams. [Post]
Three takeaways from the first 10 games. [Newsday]
It’s not just the forwards who aren’t scoring. [THN]

Elsewhere
Last night’s NHL scores included the Penguins beating the Ducks in OT — because even the Penguins can beat the Ducks — and Carolina shattering the Bruins.

Why good shooters and same-ish goalies (with smaller equipment) have caused save percentages to steadily decline. I buy it. [Sportsnet]
Not even Sidney Crosby, key to them overcoming Anaheim, can save these Penguins. Sad. [Sportsnet]
The Capitals have been one of the most improved teams this season. Damn it. [NHL]
The Devils have lost Curtis Lazar to knee surgery. [TSN]
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