Good Morning, Islanders Country.
For whatever reason, in the immediate moments following the Islanders blowing yet another third-period lead, the image I couldn’t get out of my head was a scene from Cop Land when Robert DeNiro loudly explains to Sylvester Stallone, “We gave you a chance, and you blewwwww it!”
That’s what I want to say (or scream) to this team right now. Night after night, they put themselves in a position to win, they give themselves a chance, just as they did last night and then they bleeewwwww it!
However bad you think third periods have been, they’ve been worse. Take a look at this staggering graphic from the MSG Networks broadcast after the game. The Islanders have allowed 33 third-period goals this season, more than the 1st, 2nd, and even OT combined. That’s absurd, unexplainable, and inexcusable.
They have held a third-period lead in each of their last six games. They have just two regulation wins and a record of 2-3-1. The Red Wings were 0-8-0 when trailing after two periods and then won TWICE facing that scenario vs. the Isles in the last five days. You can’t make it up.
Things have to change, but not without changing, at least according to Patrick Roy, who said in the post-game, "We need to continue to do exactly what we're doing. Changing won't help us." That’s because he really likes the way the team has played most nights, evidenced by the fact that they have either been tied or ahead after two periods in 16 of their 22 games. However, the Isles are playing with little margin of error.
Too often, they have failed to extend a lead and then seen a key mistake at the wrong time. We now how that ends, with the puck in the back of their net. That’s how it’s going—night after night after night after night after night. They’re not getting away with anything, and as a result, they bleeeewwwww it!
