Islanders News: WTAF?

7 months ago  /  Lighthouse Hockey

Impenetrable fortress. | Photo by Mike Stobe/NHLI via Getty Images


The Islanders followed up Saturday’s big win with a return to ineptitude. In Sunday’s 4-0 home loss to the New Jersey Devils, the New York Islanders probably did us all a favor (except those who sat through it in person) by convincingly putting to bed any confidence or hope anyone could reasonably have in this team re-righting the ship.
Saturday’s torching of the Jets (who then went on to get shut out in D.C.) was a nice reprieve — the kind of fun break in the misery we used to get when a Scott Gordon or early Jack Capuano team would throw in a feel-good win to break up the losing.
But Sunday returned us to what is surely the more accurate state of things. This team has blown too many chances to prove otherwise.
It has been a weird, depressing and ultimately clarifying month. If the six-game win streak made many of think that the substantive underlying improvements under Patrick Roy were finally starting to pay off, the cascade of causes for this now seven-losses-in-eight slide underline the reality that the roster itself must be fixed.
Of course, as it ages, as it repeatedly shows an inability to show up during back-to-backs (now 0-6-3 on the back half), Lou Lamoriello’s seven-years-for-everyone approach reminds us how difficult it will be to implement a proper reckoning — if, that is, Lou even agrees one is needed.
This team has legit assets and skill. It also has players who are shells of their formerly effective, conference final-contributing selves. I’m fascinated by how this summer will be handled, and right now that period cannot get here soon enough.
Islanders News

After a one-afternoon reprieve, another cursed second period does them in. [LHH]
All of Saturday’s nice feelings wasted; another back-to-back turned sour. [Newsday]
Their biggest obstacle is not Detroit nor D.C., but themselves. [Post]
Consensus seems to be that Anders Lee will probably hear from the NHL on this knee hit? It wasn’t the more common stick-your-knee-out at a guy who’s escaping your check, but he led with his leg so the major penalty probably won’t be enough. [Post]
Alex Jefferies got a point in his AHL debut and Ruslan Iskhakov scored another shootout goal that has absolutely zero application to regular game play (barring all the opponents colliding with one another on the ice, which...well, about that...). [THN]
...so about that, saving you the click to the Post, this was a symbolic moment for the Isles’ season:



Jesus pic.twitter.com/tqSSEo5mQm— Rob Taub (@RTaub_) March 24, 2024




Elsewhere
To be honest, the other NHL scores don’t matter anymore, but the Capitals won in regulation and the Flyers lost in regulation.

Man, as Nick Leddy reaches 1,000 games, he’s got teammates from everywhere that just love him. [Athletic]
Aleksander Barkov and Aaron Ekblad are both expected to return soon for the Panthers, who will take that boost. [NHL]
It really is a new NHL, as Zach Hyman has 50 goals. [Sportsnet] Sam Reinhart too. [NHL]
The Capitals pulled out the stops to celebrate TJ Oshie reaching 1,000 games, with t-shirts, everyone wearing #77 in warmups, daughters reading the lineup, even Nicklas Backstrom returning for the pre-game ceremony. [NHL]
Vegas is fighting to hang on to a playoff spot and now will be without goalie Adin Hill. [Sportsnet]
Just for fun distraction, Matt Murray is skating again but is still a “long way” from being able to play again, if ever. [TSN]
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