The Islanders welcomed Mat Barzal and Adam Pelech back to the same old song and dance.
Burned by so many previous examples in the first third of the season, it was hard not to greet the Islanders’ home-and-home with the basement-dwelling Chicago Blackhawks with dread. Surely, with an opportunity to take four points from a bad team that was playing three times in the same span, the Islanders would mess up.
They messed up.
So here we are, with Mat Barzal and Adam Pelech returning to the lineup, yet they found a way to lose, and cruelly.
Connor Bedard’s goal in the final minute of regulation — to take away any standings points, much less two — was the killer, but leaving him an opening after an icing was just one of multiple mistakes that ended up in the Islanders’ net. Though the Isles had a better share of scoring chances, their slow start was another harbinger of the doom to come.
Maybe they’ll get a boost as Barzal shakes the rust off and Anthony Duclair returns soon, too; the bottom half of the Metro is so awful that they’ll likely be “in it” despite their best self-sabotage efforts. But outcomes like Sunday are too frequent and too depressing.
Islanders News
- Three Takeaways: Well, they were happy to have Barzal and Pelech back, at least. [Isles | Post]
- Long-term injuries return, but still disjointed. [Post | Newsday | THN]
- During his recovery, Barzal welcomed a visit from his mom, learned some chess, read some books, and rooted on his teammates. [Isles]
- The Isles were without Bo Horvat, though he should be just day to day. [Isles]
Elsewhere
Yesterday’s other NHL scores at least included the Rangers losing again, so that’s nice.
- The Sabres are in bad shape (what else is new?) after blowing a pair of two-goal leads to Toronto, but Lindy Ruff says solving it is on him. [NHL | TSN | Sportsnet]
- Rick Tocchet is also none too pleased with his team right now. [Sportsnet]
- Dustin Tokarski lives: He gets a win at age 35 after joining his sixth NHL team. [Sportsnet]