Islanders News: New additions look good, but too much 2023-24 in 2024-25

1 week ago  /  Lighthouse Hockey

This could have been a wonderful game-winner. Good work everyone. | Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images


Hopefully, they take something away from this. For a team that swore it changed its ways and wouldn’t repeat the previous season, the New York Islanders managed to encapsulate nearly every issue from last year in just their first game of 2024-25. I didn’t think I could get so mad after game 1 of 82. Wrong!
They couldn’t kill a penalty, oh-fer-two. They blew three leads, two immediately after taking them, including once with under two minutes left. I wrote something similar over a dozen times last season, as did Dom. Noah Dobson may owe the guys dinner for his performance on both the 4-4 and 5-4 goals.
But, it was game 1 of 82. And I believe Dobson also had a dreadful first couple of games last year before getting into stride, so I won’t read too much into his misplays just yet. The new additions look great—I think I’m most mad that they wasted Max Tsyplakov’s clutch first NHL goal. That said, considering much of this season’s promise rested on this team not just looking like last year’s Islanders, it was extremely disappointing and disconcerting to see them unravel looking just like last year’s Islanders.
This is all compounded by what comes next. After blowing a golden opportunity at home, the Islanders head out west to visit the two best teams in the Central Division and another team that beats the Islanders more often than not when they visit. There is a decent chance that the Islanders are still looking for their first win by the time they play a home game again.
Islanders News
About last night:

There were some positives to take away, but it was undeniably frustrating to see the repeats of last season. [LHH]
Anthony Duclair scored the Isles’ first goal of the season on the power play, and Bo Horvat and J-G Pageau (shorthanded) also scored along with Tsyplakov. [THN]

Look at this shot:


Can’t get over this release. Game didn’t end well, but Tysplakov was most certainly a positive takeaway. pic.twitter.com/CAQjtiyTDF— Pizza Sports Guy (@PizzaSportsGuy) October 11, 2024





It’s a point. [Islanders]
But it was déjâ vu all over again. [NY Post] Old habits die hard, I guess. [The Athletic] Not one, but two blown leads in the third period. Poof. [Newsday]

Also:

Cal Clutterbuck was on TV last night! He hasn’t ruled out playing yet but hasn’t found anything that made sense for him and his family. [Newsday]
Kyle MacLean wants to prove he belongs on his own. [NY Post]

Elsewhere
Last night’s NHL scores include Anthony Beauvillier scoring twice for the Penguins as they beat the Red Wings and the Devils losing their home opener to the Maple Leafs.

The Gaudreaus will likely be honored before most of the Blue Jackets’ road games, but the team embraces that. The brothers will always be in their thoughts. [NHL]
Making matters worse for Columbus is the news that captain Boone Jenner could miss the entire season after having shoulder surgery. [NHL]
Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov had to be helped off the ice and put no weight on his right leg after crashing into the boards trying to defend his empty net. [Twitter]
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