Islanders News: What are you gonna do...

2 years ago  /  Lighthouse Hockey  /  Read Time: 1 minute 19 seconds

There is too much to clean up. | Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images


Noah Dobson was the latest to miss out as the hits keep coming. First, let me say happy (U.S.) Thanksgiving. I hope you get to enjoy some time with friends and/or family without violence. In hockey terms, no matter what this season brings, I’m thankful for Robin Salo finally getting a chance and UBS Arena arriving as advertised.
There are no NHL games scheduled today for the U.S. holiday, so...about last night, where poor Barry Trotz and the rest of us are living through some kind of Kafka-esque nightmare:
The Islanders could’ve won that game last night if they had better luck or if the Rangers had an off night or if Semyon Varlamov stood on his head or if their incredibly dry shooting streak had finally found water.
They didn’t, of course, which was always the more likely scenario — moreso with Noah Dobson the latest regular to be unavailable, due to injury instead of COVID. But in sports and especially in hockey, you never know. So you watch and you hope.
One report from the Fourth Period last night said that “the Islanders” had requested postponement from the league, though other reports suggested that would not have come from Lou Lamoriello.
Either way, it doesn’t really matter because the request (if it happened) was not granted. The Isles are still stuck in this tailspin trifecta of factors fueled by COVID and injuries, their dip in form that predates the first COVID case (of their season), and the dry spell every shooter is experiencing.
Islanders News
Reporters understandably chased the “do you guys feel screwed over by the league?” story line, and of course Barry Trotz and the available players weren’t going that way. “You need people to find ways to produce,” Barry Trotz said. “We’re here to play hockey,” Casey Cizikas said.


Trotz Postgame Availability pic.twitter.com/aDFjoYpJOb— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) November 25, 2021





Cizikas & Mayfield Postgame Availability pic.twitter.com/OMfIEk3etC— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) November 25, 2021




Four salient words from Jenny’s recap: “I mean, this league.” [LHH]
Staple: The math is becoming hard for the Islanders. [Athletic]
That’s seven straight regulation losses for the first time since 2010-11. The Isles haven’t been four games under NHL-.500 for the first time since April 3, 2018. [NYI Skinny]
That’s seven straight and is it time to worry about playoffs? (Yes.) [Newsday]
Does it sting more that it was the Rangers fourth line that helped confirm the damage last night? [NHL]
The offensive woes are a persistent problem. [Post]
The “new home for the New York rivalry” angle. [Newsday]
Now it’s the Smurfs, not the Isles, who can boast an identity. [Brooks @ Post]
Even before the COVID curse, the Isles had issues with mobility on defense. [NHL mailbag]

How is the farm doing?


Here's how Bridgeport looked by the 3rd (I know, I know, "Bridgeport played on the Island tonight," ha)F: Holmstrom-Czarnik-ThompsonTerry-Kubiak-CoskeyAdams-Bibeau-DurandeauBrown-MacLean-JenkinsD: Wotherspoon-McCarthyHelgeson-Vande SompelBolduc-CornellG: SchneiderSkarek— Michael Fornabaio (@fornabaioctp) November 25, 2021



Elsewhere
Last night’s other NHL scores included the Penguins, Capitals and Blue Jackets winning in regulation, but the Hurricanes finally losing to the Kraken.

It’s become fashionable to cite the “teams out of the playoffs at Thanksgiving usually don’t make it” thing, though it varies, and this season injuries and other factors {cough, a team with one third in COVID} may alter that. [AP News]
Surprises and disappointments at the quarter pole. [Sportsnet]
The Canucks (who lost to the Penguins) are in an amazing free fall. [Sportsnet]
Jack Capuano, who was fully vaccinated, was one of the unlucky (relatively speaking) ones, and discusses his multi-day fever bout with the virus. [Sun]
More love for the Flames under Darryl Sutter. [Sportsnet]
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