Andy Greene regarded straight down. Sitting on the bench, he wore a glance of complete dejection and defeat.
There have been 1.5 seconds left within the recreation, Mason Appleton simply having scored an empty-net aim, and the look on Greene’s face echoed throughout the Islanders’ bench.
“We considered this recreation as a must-win,” Brock Nelson would say afterwards. “We would have liked these factors.”
Towards the struggling Seattle Kraken, that’s simply what Wednesday night time was. However the Islanders didn’t play prefer it, shedding 3-0 in an effort coach Barry Trotz referred to as “one of many extra disappointing video games that I’ve coached as an Islander coach.”
“Too many turnovers, obtained outcompeted,” Trotz stated of a 3rd interval through which his workforce fell aside, giving up three objectives, his gamers enjoying like they have been waiting for their All-Star break holidays. “Their will was loads stronger than our will. That’s the place it ended up. They wished it extra.
“Phrases don’t imply something. It’s actions.”
At this level within the Islanders’ season, with a 16-17-6 file and a workforce that regarded disinterested at greatest on Wednesday, it’s going to take numerous actions to show the ship round.
After a scoreless 46 minutes, Jared McCann lastly broke the impasse, scoring off Semyon Varlamov’s shoulder after former Islander Jordan Eberle received a puck battle behind the online.
Just some minutes later, Vince Dunn doubled the Kraken’s lead with a backhand aim that beat Varlamov from shut vary. Boos rained down. The followers knew in addition to anybody — these Islanders will not be a workforce constructed to come back again from a two-goal deficit within the third interval.
Appleton added that empty-net aim with 1.5 seconds left to make it three, and the tv digital camera discovered Greene on the bench.
As a lot as a aggressive loss on Feb. 2 could be calamitous, this was calamitous. An evening after the Islanders regarded good towards Ottawa, they obtained shut out by a workforce whose scoring protection ranks close to the underside of the league.
“We didn’t get to that inside, we didn’t problem them in any method in that regard,” a scowling Anders Lee stated. “A workforce that’s up and in your face, you commerce rushes, you find yourself not getting sufficient zone time. You gotta create havoc by getting the puck to the online. I don’t suppose we did that sufficient tonight.”
The Islanders need to win low-scoring video games, and this one was there for the taking. However they merely couldn't generate offense. The Kraken solely referred to as on Phillip Grubauer to make 19 saves, few of them difficult, in comparison with Varlamov’s 28.
For the primary two durations, this was as lifeless a recreation as has taken place at UBS Enviornment this season. It was gradual, boring and grinding. Repeatedly, Trotz referred to as out the trouble, saying such a recreation would break his vacation.
“I’ll have this style in my mouth [during the break],” he stated. “I can’t communicate for the gamers or anyone else.”
Within the third interval, issues lastly got here aside. Regardless of enjoying almost all the interval with a deficit, and almost two minutes at six-on-five, the Islanders have been outshot 11-8 within the final 20 minutes.
The Islanders, regardless of a flailing first half punctuated by an terrible file towards contending groups, had a minimum of been held up by a sterling file towards the groups they have been presupposed to beat. On Wednesday, the Kraken took a flamethrower to that tepid silver lining.
It’s true that the Islanders had a number of uncontrollable components working towards them this 12 months, however the lineup they rolled out on Wednesday was totally wholesome, at dwelling and nonetheless vulnerable to all the identical issues as earlier than. Trotz stated lineup adjustments are on the desk upon the workforce’s return from the All-Star break.
“I’m pissed off proper now,” he stated. “Plain and easy.”
He had good motive to be. The Islanders began gradual and stayed that method. They struggled to get the puck up the ice. After they did, they not often challenged Grubauer. They defended exhausting sufficient, however performed with out inspiration. And when the Kraken lastly broke by way of, it solely took 2:31 for his or her result in double.
It was exhausting to observe. For Islanders followers, so was the primary half of the season.
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