Three takeaways from Islanders' pair of weekend games vs. Devils, Panthers
Pierre Engvall of the Islanders plays the puck during the third period against the Florida Panthers at UBS Arena on Saturday. Credit: Jim McIsaac
The Islanders will close out this month with a second straight back-to-back set, facing the Ducks on Tuesday night at UBS Arena and playing in Columbus the next night.
This coming off Friday night’s 4-3 overtime win over the Devils at Prudential Center — in which the hosts sent the game to an extra period with a goal at 18:31 of the third period — and Saturday night’s 6-3 loss to the visiting Panthers, in which the reigning Stanley Cup champions scored six unanswered goals after the Islanders took a 3-0 lead at 11:41 of the first period.
Here are three takeaways from a problematic weekend:
1. There has to be a mental component to blowing leads
Not being able to protect leads was a huge issue for the Islanders last season and — with virtually the same roster — it’s continued into this season.
The Islanders already have allowed a tying goal to be scored with less than three minutes left in regulation three times in eight games. That included a season-opening 5-4 overtime loss to visiting Utah, a game in which the Islanders could not hold a two-goal lead and then a one-goal lead taken at 17:53 of the third period.
It’s almost as if the Islanders are waiting for something bad to happen. So it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.
“We came out strong,” Casey Cizikas said after Saturday’s loss. “We put ourselves in a really good spot. They had a push. In the second period, they just outworked us. That’s something that’s not acceptable. We’ve got to find ways to close out teams.”
Coach Patrick Roy said he didn’t quite agree that there’s an issue because the Panthers had nearly 50 minutes to rally.
Of course, the Islanders had nearly 50 minutes to build off a good start, and it went the other way.
Alarmingly, that’s been the case way too frequently this season.
2. It’s not clear Roy wanted Engvall back
Islanders president/general manager Lou Lamoriello announced Saturday that Anthony Duclair (lower body) was placed on long-term injured reserve in order to free salary-cap space to recall forward Pierre Engvall in the second season of a seven-year, $21 million deal. Hudson Fasching also was recalled from their AHL affiliate in Bridgeport, and the Islanders signed longtime fourth-liner Matt Martin to a one-year, $775,000 deal off his professional tryout offer.
“Patrick and I speak every single day,” Lamoriello said. “We’re on the exact same page as far as anything that transpires and how we do things.”
But Roy said about Engvall’s 10:11 of ice time on the fourth line: “We know what he did for this team in the past two years. I guess Lou thought it was a good moment for him to be back and play.”
3. Home attendance bears watching
The Islanders have not sold out any of their four home games, though the 17,254 who saw the season opener against the Utah Hockey Club was literally one person shy of capacity.
The average is 15,303, with Tuesday’s crowd of 12,739 for a 1-0 loss to the Red Wings the lowest since the building opened.
There are other factors that could be involved in that, such as the Yankees’ and Mets’ postseason runs.
But the fan base also might be reacting to essentially having the same product from last season and waiting to see how the season develops.
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.
More Islanders
