New York Islanders Losing Streak Now At Four

Tonight in Chicago, Michal Neuvrith, John Tavares and the rest of the struggling Islanders displayed lackluster play as the losing streak has reached four.

The Only positive take from tonight’s game for the New York Islanders against the Chicago Blackhawks is that it is one more game closer in getting Nick Leddy and Jaroslav Halak back from their injuries.

106. . 4. 94. . 1

The Islanders came to Chicago with the best intentions in snapping a three game losing streak. The Hawks had different plans.

The Isles are a team that looks as if they have lost their identity, they are no way near the threatening, offensive explosive team that can finish at will. After tonight’s loss they have scored four goals in four games, not where you want to be when you are in a divisional race.

It has been extremely frustrating for the Isles as they continue to run into hot goal tenders. Since they have lost the top spot to the Rangers in the Metropolitan division they cannot regain the confidence they emulated all season.

The towering blow came in the second period when Andrew Shaw did his best WWE impersonation and was given a five-minute major for head butting Brock Nelson. The Isles only generated one shot the entire major, that is simply unacceptable.

It was Captain Jonathan Toews and Marian Hossa who pretty much handled the Islanders on their own. Toews scored in the first off a backhand shot beating Michal Neuvirth at 7:01. Then it was Toews again a little over nine-minutes later when he broke in and beat Neuvirth on another backhand shot putting it off the unsettled keepers left shoulder. It almost had the appearance at first that Neuvirth was playing some solid hockey until the soft goal by Toews.

The Islanders first line offense and Defense both were a minus two after the first intermission. Things did not get any better in the second. The Islanders came out strong out shooting the Hawks 15-5 but had nothing to show for it. It was Toews once more this time instead of looking for a hat trick he unselfishly passed the puck to Hossa who buried a slapshot for the three goal lead.

The Hossa and Toews show continued in the third when Hossa less than a minute into the final session scored his 21st of the season getting Jonathan Toews his fourth point of the night. The Islanders finally got on the board breaking Cory Crawford’s shutout when Nikolay Kulemin deflected a shot past the hot goalie at 5:29.

The Islanders put the pucks on net but Crawford turned 38 of them away. Now the Isles must wait until Saturday against the Devils to try to snap this current four-game losing streak.

Next: Islanders Up Against The Wall Without Halak

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