New York Islanders: Tough Loss Will Not Bruise Teams Ego

Expect the Isles to bring it all Thursday and take the series lead, going up 3-2.

Islander fans everywhere felt that sudden drop in their stomach just as Nicklas Backstom’s shot hit the back of the net.  It feels like the wind is being knocked out of you.  The sudden shock may cause ones arm to reach for the closest thing near them and toss it.   The amount of stress our Islanders give us every game is unforgivable at times.

Yes this is a tough loss but it is another notch in the playoff armor for this young team.  Sometimes you have to lose to learn how to win.  This loss is a stinger, especially being at home.  The boys in the locker room cannot think of the what if’s.  They had their share of chances and coaching has to remind them of that.

In the end they were the better team.  To me it felt like they were losing every draw when actually the Capitals only had that category by one (33-32).  Sure their power play is for lack of a better word, awful going 0-4.  This young team seems to have a resiliency to bounce back.

Tonight’s loss must be looked as a learning curve.  I see this team going into Washington and coming back up 3-2.  The kids on this club love playing together and they do not want this joyride to end.

Jack Capuano has done a good job.  He has played matchup very well and the team has more than adjusted to the unique play of playoff hockey.  The regular season and the playoffs are night and day,  this young Islanders group have found their playoff gear.

Braden Holtby was great but so was Jaroslav Halak.  When Halak laid out diving across in the third to stop Marcus Johansson’s redirection, those type of stops are what saves and wins games.

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Don’t forget the Isles were inches away from grabbing the lead late in the third when Cal Cluttebuck rang one-off the crossbar.  Despite all of the teams negative falls they were always in the position to win this game.

John Tavares is slightly pressing, they are covering the kid well just as Johnny Boychuk is Alex Ovechkin.  Tavares is having a hard time getting any room on the ice where he can take control.  I have said this before but Tavares is a sleeping giant.  There is plenty of hockey left to see him at his playoff best.

We have seen a young team grow with each game.  They are a confident bunch and should not and will not let this loss define who they are.

More from Eyes On Isles

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• Islanders Zdeno Chara trending in the right direction
• Islanders: Semyon Varlamov Deserves Benefit of the Doubt
• Islanders Ilya Sorokin becoming number one goalie
• Islanders Zach Parise Was Quiet in Return to Minnesota