Top Shelf – Islanders Daily 11/7/13

Nov 5, 2013; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Capitals right wing Alex Ovechkin (8) skates with the puck as New York Islanders defenseman Andrew MacDonald (47) chases in the third period at Verizon Center. The Capitals won 6-2. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

The roller coaster ride that is the 2013-14 New York Islanders season has been nothing if not…entertaining? Can I say that? Or maybe “unpredictable” is a more appropriate word. I think I’ll go with unpredictable.

If you’ve been following this team for years, you know the ups and downs with the Isles are to be expected, but it always feels like a punch in the stomach when they win on the road against the Pittsburgh Penguins by scoring three times in the final eight minutes, then forget to show up in Uniondale and get blown out by the bottom-feeding Philadelphia Flyers.

And “surprising” isn’t a strong enough descriptor for how fans felt after watching their team defeat the Boston Bruins 3-1 at home one night, then go on the road and lose a 6-2 game to the Washington Capitals in which they let up four goals in a little over five minutes of game time.

Being an Islanders fan is a lot like having your money on the table and watching the ball bouncing on the roulette wheel. Will it land on your number? Your color? Double zero? (Because, seriously: double zero is just the worst.) No matter what happens, you’ve got a chance to win, but there’s no way of knowing when that’ll be.

Expect the unexpected, if nothing else.

-Mike (@MichaelWillhoft)

In Case You Missed It

Islanders Defensemen Get Their October Grades (Eyes On Isles)

NHL TV Schedule: Week Of November 4 (Eyes On Isles)

Islanders Shaking Off A Shaky Game (Newsday)

Okposo Takes Game To The Next Level (NY Islanders)

The (Many) Trouble(s) With Evaluating Goalies (Lighthouse Hockey)

Two Minutes For Tweeting

It’s not quite time to panic, despite what you may have seen floating around the interwebs.

The silver lining from the loss to the Washington Capitals? The fact that the Isles think of themselves as part of a quality team, one that shouldn’t accept bad losses as typical occurrences. Look for a much-improved effort tonight in Carolina.

Ness has some NHL experience, making him the best candidate for an NHL call-up at this point. He won’t wow anyone on the Island, but all he needs to be is a solid replacement player.

Last Night In The NHL

PIT Penguins 1
NY Rangers 5

WPG Jets 1
CHI Blackhawks 4

NSH Predators 6
COL Avalanche 4

PHX Coyotes 2
ANA Ducks 5

Across The Sound

The Bridgeport Sound Tigers are on a two-game winning streak and are now 3-5-1-0 after defeating Worcester and Norfolk last week. The big news from the Isles’ AHL affiliate is that defenseman Aaron Ness was recalled from Bridgeport to bolster the Islanders’ blue line. The team expects to have him on the roster for tonight’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes. The Sound Tigers play in Hershey, PA this Saturday.

As always, thanks for reading us at EyesOnIsles. Keep it right here for all of your NHL coverage and up-to-the-minute Islanders news. Be sure to check the menu bar at the top of the page for ways to connect with the EyesOnIsles staff; we’re always happy to talk hockey.