Good Morning, Islanders Country.
When the 2022-23 schedule came out, astute Islanders fans noticed the gauntlet of games toward the end of October and worried how the Islanders would look on the other side of it. Well, after two games, the team has a 2-4-0 record, losers of three in a row, and their four points are the least in the Eastern Conference.
“There’s no concern the right pieces are here,” said Lane Lambert after the game. “It’s just a matter of generating chemistry and, if things are not going the way we want to, do something in terms of moving our guys around. They understand that.”
Yes, the work ethic and battle level were there. They’ve out-blocked and out-hit their last two opponents following the ugly loss to New Jersey, but it’s the scoreboard that matters. This weekend they lost to two teams that they couldn’t beat last year and so far have zero points against in three games this season.
There’s no extended road trip or COVID outbreak to point to this year. If you were concerned the Isles’ roster simply wasn’t good enough to compete consistently with the league’s best, nothing so far has quelled that thought. Three more chances this month to stabilize the ship before panic sets in. It’s only been six games, but Lane Lambert is already facing sizeable adversity.
Coming up, the lineup shakeups continued last night while the B-Isles are off to a blazing start after a busy long weekend. The penalty kill is still perfect, we recall Mike Bossy’s retirement, and Isles nation shines in the sunshine state.
Let’s dive in.
🏒 IN SHORT: Ryan Lomberg scored early in the third period as the Florida Panthers (4-1-1) held off the New York Islanders 3-2 on Sunday, defeating them for the second time this early season. The Islanders went down early when Anton Lundell put the Panthers ahead 1-0 just 39 seconds into the game. About nine minutes later, Eetu Luostarinen gave the Panthers a 2-0 lead. Anders Lee scored two power-play goals for the Isles (2-4-0), who have lost three straight. Mathew Barzal recorded two power-play assists, and Semyon Varlamov made 29 saves.
KEY MOMENT(s):
🔻 After Adam Pelech failed a clearing attempt and lost a puck battle behind the goal line, Lundell’s shot deflected off Varlamov’s blocker and in for a 1-0 lead.
🔻 A shot by Luostarinen stung Noah Dobson up high by the throat, and while Dobson was down in pain, Luostarinen recovered the loose puck and beat Varlamov. After the game, Lambert said the defenseman had no lingering issues after taking a puck to the throat and briefly going to the dressing room.
🔹 Lee converted on what he does best, battling at the top of the opponent’s crease, banging bodies, and cleaning up the garbage in front of the net. Here was the second of his two power-play goals on the night. It’s the fourth time in Lee’s career he has scored two PP goals in the same game.
3 REACTIONS
❶ FELL BEHIND: "We just found ourselves behind in the third period again," Lee said. "It's tough, we made it a game, we put a lot of pressure on and did a lot of good things and our game is going in the right direction. We're not getting the results right now. We have to find a way to stick with it, push through this and be ready to go for Wednesday."
❷ TOO CONGESTED: "Five on five we just got to find a way to create a little bit more open ice in the offensive zone and deliver the puck," Lee said. "We had plenty of shots in previous games that created a lot of zone time and I think when we stick to that and are able to generate that it pays off for us."
❸ SILVER LINING: "We've been generating some chances and generating pucks at the net," said Lambert. "And you know, we did that again tonight.”
⏭ NEXT UP: The Islanders are off until Wednesday night when the New York Rangers stop on Long Island for a rivalry matchup at UBS Arena.
📊 STANDINGS: After the Columbus Blue Jackets’ 5-1 win vs. the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, the Islanders find themselves at the bottom of the Metropolitan Division.
📰 NEWS: Changes were afoot on Sunday after falling 5-3 to the Tampa Bay Lightning the previous night. Josh Bailey drew back into the lineup against the Florida Panthers after being a healthy scratch on Saturday. He’s now played in 998 career NHL games.
◾️ Anthony Beauvillier was scratched for the game. Lambert said it was a “coaches decision” and did not elaborate why the 25-year-old watched this one from the press box. In search of some physicality, Ross Johnston was inserted into the lineup for his first game of the 2022-23 season.
◾️ Nikita Soshnikov sat after having a rough go of it against the Lightning. “We’re close,” Lambert said when asked about settling on a regular lineup. “We’ve got to lock it down here soon.”
🅱️-Isles: The Bridgeport Islanders are off to a blazing start with a 4-1-0 record in the first five games of the regular season. This weekend, they won back-to-back-to-back contests against the Providence Bruins in overtime on Friday, the Laval Rocket on Saturday, and the Hartford Wolfpack on Sunday.
William Dufour scored his first and second professional goals on Saturday in the 5-4 victory over the Bruins, including the game-winning goal in overtime, assisted by fellow top prospect Aatu Räty.
🚨 On Saturday, it was 2019 first-round pick Simon Holmstrom leading the way, scoring two goals in the 5-2 victory over the Rocket.
🏒 And on Sunday, Ruslan Iskhakov led the way with his second consecutive multi-point effort (two assists), including the primary helper on Paul Thompson’s game-winning goal.
👑 WELCOMING ROYALTY: Legendary Islanders defenseman Denis Potvin joined Brendan Burke and Butch Goring in the MSG booth. Brendan introduced the former Isles captain by listing out his many accomplishments and added “Protector of the realm, first of his name” for House of the Dragon fans.
📚 SOUND SMART: Per Eric Hornick in The Skinny, the Isles killed all four Florida power plays and have killed 22 of 22 this season; Detroit (17-17) and St. Louis (4-4) are the other NHL teams not to allow a power play goal. It is the first time in Islander history that they have not allowed a power-play goal in the first six games. It was the third time the Isles started a season with 21 successful consecutive penalty kills. The same streak also occurred at the beginning of the 1981-82 & 1987-88 seasons.
🗓 ON THIS DATE IN ISLANDERS HISTORY: On October 24, 1988, the legendary Mike Bossy officially announced his retirement at the age of only thirty-one after missing the entire 1987-88 season due to a back injury. He finished his NHL career with 573 goals and 1,126 points in just 752 games.
Via the New York Times: Bossy rested the entire summer of 1987, hoping for a training-camp comeback, but on Oct. 5, 1987, he announced that he was still unable to play and would undergo physical therapy. He said he wouldn't return to the ice unless he felt he could perform up to his own standards.
🔗 Butch Goring Turns 73: Most Important Islanders Acquisition of All Time? by Stefen Rosner, NYIHockeyNow: “Following his playing days in 1984-85, Goring coached the Boston Bruins from 1985-87 and then years later was behind the Islanders bench from 1999-2001. In 2010, Butch Goring became the staple color commentator on MSG.”
🔗 Gotta See It: NY Islanders prospect William Dufour snipes his first professional level goal, Eyes on Isles: “Ruslan Iskhakov is another exciting name playing for the Jr. Islanders who scored his first professioanl level goal in the Islanders 3-2 win over the Thunderbirds. In Friday nights contest during the Islanders second bout against the Bruins, Dufour joined Iskhakov in scoring firsts, sniping his first professional level goal to open the scoring.”
And we leave you with this …. Isles Meetups are alive and STRONG in the state of Florida. On both Saturday and Sunday night, the blue and orange was well represented at Amalie Arena and FLA Live Arena.
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No great revelation...BUT we lack goal scorers/finishers.
We all knew it, and Lou chose to run it back w/ the same group of forwards.
Not gonna get it done in this new league where speed and hands are required; greasy hard-working goals won't cut it.
.....well, SHANNON certainly looks GOOD in that lefthand photo!
Joe, cannot express how LIVID that failure to whistle play dead with Noah face DOWN on the ice made me; some Islanders fans criticized my related FB posting to their page though but as I understand it, associated league rule states 'if a player appears to be seriously injured and / or at risk for FURTHER injury / harm, officials MUST stop play - was just a CHEAP goal for Florida AND I'd argue, one from which was particularly HARD to bounce back.....
.....an Eye On Isles commenter characterized Josh as something to be found on the bottom of their shoe (COMMON occurrence, I do realize - but, NO less disgusting) - yeah, he was a - 1 but by MY count, had 3 shots on goal.....just getting to be a MISERABLE experience post-game (EVEN when they WIN) but I'm SO grateful for YOUR consistent EVENHANDEDNESS.....