Islanders News: Getting ugly fast

Both on Long Island and in Manhattan.

Last night’s loss by the New York Islanders to the Seattle Kraken was, to put it nicely, meek. Being in the building for it felt like being in the Coliseum circa 2007-2009, except way more expensive.

In keeping with that theme, the Islanders wake up again sitting in last place in the Metro Division, two points out of last place in the Eastern Conference. As I learned on the post-game radio show, the Islanders have won only once in their previous six games, twice in their last ten games, and thrice in their last 13 games; I didn’t even realize it had gotten that bad. They have nine wins about a third of the way through the season: That’s an 82-game pace of 27 wins. 27! That’s 54 points—lottery team level.

But because the whole bottom half or two-thirds of the conference sucks, they’re also only two points out of a playoff spot, albeit with more games played than most of the teams in front of them, of which there are many. I don’t know if the returns of the injured guys will be able to rectify what ails this team—they were around for some of our blown leads this season—but there’s still, incredibly, a chance. I think it just feels hopeless because the special teams are abysmal and show no signs of getting any better, and even when they do take the lead, it’s almost inevitable that they won’t end the game with it.

Islanders News

Recaps:

• Pretty bad, not much else to say about it. [LHH]
• The 1-0-2 point streak is over. [Islanders]
• Probably their worst game of the year. [Post]
• In a new twist, they were bad in the first two periods instead of the third. [Newsday]
• For a team that says it’s fighting for a playoff spot, that’s a “concerning” start to the game. [THN]
• Seattle’s power play entered the night 30th in the league and 2-for-30, but went 2-for-2 against the Islanders. [NYI Skinny]
• Pierre Engvall got a chance to return to the lineup on the second line. [Post] He… did not take advantage of it, and Patrick Roy was not a fan. [Post] And probably cost himself a lineup spot again.

Not recaps:

• Adam Pelech skated again yesterday, and Marcus Hogberg was recalled as Semyon Varlamov is day-to-day. [Islanders] Hogberg got into the game in the third period and looked pretty good.
• The Isles also announced that Mathew Barzal and Anthony Duclair are skating on their own. [Twitter]
• The Islanders honored Connor Kasin before the game last night. What a tragedy, man. It’s so awful. [NHL | Newsday]
• Darius Kasparaitis was the latest guest on Talkin’ Isles.

Elsewhere

Last night’s NHL scores include the Lightning waxing the Sharks, and the Panthers beating Philly 7-5 in a wild game.

• Jacob Trouba appears done with the Rangers: He won’t play tonight and was reportedly mulling multiple trade options for which he could waive; if he chooses not to, he will be waived himself, not today evidently but perhaps tomorrow. [Post] Larry Brooks seems to think the Rangers are going after Brady Tkachuk. [Po$t+] In fact, as I post, it appears he’s on his way to the Anaheim Ducks. [Twitter]
• More big news: The 32nd-place Blackhawks fired head coach and one-time Islander assistant coach Luke Richardson and named their AHL coach, Anders Sorensen, interim coach. [NHL]
• The Red Wings’ penalty kill could be the worst of all time. Why? [The Athletic]
• Over 200 hockey sticks were left at the Johnny Gaudreau memorial in Calgary back in the summer, and the team turned the sticks into benches which they are now donating. [NHL]