It was a light week for the Islanders with only two games vs the Hurricanes and the Devils, but the rest did not bear much fruit. They gave themselves a chance at four points, but ultimately only came away with one. Victor Eklund continues to emerge as a player for the Islanders, and Matthew Schaefer continues to find ways to win over fans despite the results. Sean & Arthur cover it all in this week's episode.
Good Morning, Islanders Country.
For about 40 minutes Saturday night, it felt like the Islanders had found something. UBS Arena was as loud as it’s been all season. Anthony Duclair, Matthew Schaefer, Simon Holmström, and Victor Eklund all scored. Schaefer dropped Luke Hughes in a gloves-on scrap late in the second while the building chanted his name.
The Isles took a 4-2 lead into the third, and for a team that hadn’t won in more than a week, it looked like the night would end with a much-needed two points.
Then you looked at the shot clock.
New Jersey had been outshooting the Islanders all night, and it only got worse. By the end, the Devils had 50 shots to the Isles’ 23, the most the Islanders have allowed in a game since March 2018. They never established a forecheck. They rarely spent more than a shift in the offensive zone. The 4-2 lead wasn’t a sign they were winning. It was a sign Ilya Sorokin was.
