The Isles exiting Vancouver with a 4-3 overtime loss to one of the NHL's best teams. Norris Trophy candidate Quinn Hughes did the Nassaumen in with a wrister at 2:36 of the extra session after taking a clean breakaway pass from J.T Miller and beating Ilya Sorokin.
According to The Law of Averages, if you wait long enough, sooner or later a losing team will win.
Or, at least grab a point.
To that extent the New York Islanders succeeded -- exiting Vancouver with a 4-3 overtime loss to one of the NHL's best teams. Norris Trophy candidate Quinn Hughes did the Nassaumen in with a wrister at 2:36 of the extra session after taking a clean breakaway pass from J.T Miller and beating Ilya Sorokin.
Right now, the Islanders -- shall we say -- are waiting for the Winning Law to catch up with them.
Although they did blow a 2-0 first period lead, the Long Islanders had a feeling that, at last, things were looking up; especially after they went up 3-1. .
For that to happen would have required a bit better in the departments of defense, PK and-- most important, -- preserving a third period lead which evaporated last night in the Pearl of British Columbia and collapsed in the sudden-death defeat.
But hope springs eternal and the first period brought a glimmer of sunshine. A pair of
power play goals by Pierre Engvall and Brock Nelson gave the Orange and Blue a two-goal cushion heading into the middle frame. But these days that's not enough.
The lead began evaporating faster than you could say "J.T.. Miller" who scored an early power player and that set the Isles' Worry Machine in motion. Bo Horvat, a long-time poster boy in Vancouver fattened the Isles lead to 3-1 and the second period ended, 3-2 Isles.
A major Isles failing has been third period flops and, sadly, it happened again. After Lane Lambert's outfit successfully killed an early penalty the chute opened up on them with another penalty and this time Vancouver tied the game with just over eight minutes left in the third.
This oh-so-familiar scenario was part of the opposition carrying the play and leading the shots on goal. And that, once again continued the seemingly insurmountable failing.
Battling for at least a road point became the issue as the clock clicked toward the end of the third period with the 3-3 count.
That bit of good news was deflated with the Quint Hughes convincing wrister.
Hey, folks, a point in Vancouver is better than no point at all. Let's forget the quotes for now and deal with THE KEYS.
1. Blowing a pair of two goal leads on the road says the defense needs fixing.
2. The amount of bad penalties the team is taking says there's a lack of discipline.
3. Nice to see Horvat and Barzal team so well.
4. Nelson scored again. Good.
5. That was a terrible penalty -- should not have been -- on Pageau.. Six penalties in a row should not happen. Again; discipline!
6. Sorokin played another super game and his club only got him a point; even with four goals. Netminding is not the problem.
(Next up: The Kraken in Seattle tonight.)