"We dig ourselves a hole and do it a lot; we've got to find a way not to do it anymore!"
That's a capsule -- and accurate -- review of the New York Islanders 4-1 loss to the Oilers at Edmonton last night from the man behind the Visitor's bench, coach Lane Lambert.
The Maven puts it another way:
Everything that could go wrong -- except Mat Barzal's first minute-first period goal -- could go wrong for the slumping Orange and Blue.
1. Edmonton opened with a brand, new coach, Kris Knoblauch. Teams almost always play better welcoming a new mentor.
2. Oilers slumping aces Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl got back on track and broke open what was an even game.
3. The Islanders once-dependable penalty-killers failed them.
4. As Danny DeVito said in the classic movie, Tin Men, "I'M IN A SLUMP!"
5. Blowing third period leads has become a nasty habit for the Isles.
6. An Islanders power play late in the third -- that might have helped -- failed.
It was a game that "lacked a lot of flow" according to MSG Networks Brendan Burke, halfway through the contest.
But a third period penalty to rookie Simon Holmstrom was all Oiler Zach Hyman needed to put Edmonton ahead and that proved to be the winner.
Once again the Elmonters scored the first goal with Bo Horvat and Ryan Pulock assisting. Frankly, all looked hopeful until Pulock's over-the-glass third period penalty gave The Oil another PP and McDavid does what he does best -- scores.
"It's nice," concluded the best hockey player in the world with not the best quote of the month so far, "to know how to score again."
There's not much goalie Ilya Sorokin can do if his mates can't score more than a goal but, hey, it's not even the middle of November. Plenty of time to straighten things out.
Plenty of time.
"We just have to capitalize," added Lambert.
"We've got to stick together," said Anders Lee.
Funny but those were the same words the captain used last mid-season and they helped pull the Isles out of their slump and, eventually into the playoffs.
There's plenty of time and plenty of hope! Next up are the Canucks tomorrow night in Vancouver.