Islanders' issues on the ice aren't going away
Islanders center Bo Horvat breaks his stick against the goal post after his team's loss to the Predators last Saturday in Nashville. Credit: AP/Mark Zaleski
CHICAGO — The Islanders have had multiple issues on this so-far winless four-game road trip that may ultimately sink their playoff hopes.
To name a few: depth-attacking injuries, a power play that has yet to produce a goal, a barrage of shots on overworked goalie Ilya Sorokin and two of the freakiest goals allowed in recent memory on a broken-stick bloop in the final seconds for the winning tally and the netminder’s broken skate blade on the penalty kill.
But let’s focus on that penalty kill and how many times the Islanders put themselves on it. Simply put, way too much.
"Penalties totally disrupt the flow,” coach Lane Lambert said. “Yeah, they do. They did [Monday] night early on. And they did again [Tuesday] night. We’ve got to stay out of the box.”
The Islanders lost an otherwise winnable 4-2 game to the Jets, tied with the Canucks for the most points in the NHL, on Tuesday as the hosts went 1-for-5 on the power play. That crucial power-play goal in the second period from defenseman Neal Pionk came with Sorokin, who has made a career-high 12 straight appearances with Semyon Varlamov (injured reserve/lower body) sidelined, immobilized after a previous hard shot knocked his right blade off his boot.
Monday’s brutal 5-0 loss to the Wild came after the Wild had three power-play chances in the first period and finished 2-for-5 in the match. The Islanders lost the trip opener, 3-1, on Saturday as the Predators were 1-for-3 on the power play. The trip ends Friday against last-place Chicago at United Center.
“The penalties that are happening, some of the tripping penalties, cross checking a guy into the boards, we just have to be smarter,” Lambert said. “That’s it. You have to be smarter.”
Especially since the players taking the questionable penalties should know better.
Defenseman Mike Reilly is in his ninth season, yet he cross checked the Jets’ Dominic Toninato 23 seconds after Pionk’s power-play goal. Anders Lee’s first-period hooking penalty was his third straight taken in the offensive zone following a slash and hook against the Wild. The slash led to the Wild’s first power-play goal 2:11 into the first period, and the hook negated half of a four-minute man advantage for the Isles.
Kyle Palmieri took a tripping penalty at 13:13 of the third period against the Predators and the score tied at 1-1. He also was called for high sticking in the offensive zone late in the first period against the Wild. Defenseman Noah Dobson was called for an offensive-zone trip at 15:40 of the third period against the Jets with the Islanders trailing 3-2.
“We definitely have to do a better job of staying out of the box,” Palmieri said. “No fault to Dobber. It’s a fast game. He was just trying to have a good stick and keep the puck in the zone and stuff happens.”
Except it keeps happening 44 games into the season.
The Islanders absolutely must play smarter hockey. Lambert’s job security may depend on it.
Roster notes: Center Casey Cizikas (lower body) was placed on injured reserve retroactive to Jan. 9 . . . Forward Kyle MacLean was recalled from the Islanders’ AHL affiliate in Bridgeport.
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.
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