New York Islanders Suffer a Tired Loss in Calgary

The New York Islanders continue to be a Jekyll and Hyde team, after suffering a big 5-2 loss to the Calgary Flames.

There’s a song here for the New York Islanders. Somewhere. With all due respect to Eminem, would the real New York Islanders please stand up?

The Islanders began their game in Calgary with shades of their play under Jack Capuano. They played an atrocious first period and shoved Thomas Greiss into the proverbial fire. They served him up for four goals in the final five and a half minutes of the beginning stanza.

Greiss faced 21 shots in the first period. No blame game here.

New York Islanders

Road Weariness

We heard a few familiar rumblings about the Islanders’ legs and how the team looked flat. They looked tired.

John Tavares wasn’t shy about citing the three games in four nights on top of the travel in his between period interview.

Sure, there was an improvement in the second and third periods, and if there’s a positive to take from a game like this, it’s that.

They settled down and made a game out of it – unlike the debacle in Columbus a week ago. There is no denying, though, this was a tired group.

Tired and Injured

It was a tired group also feeling the effects of injuries. What seemed to be working so well for the Islanders was the developing chemistry in lines since Doug Weight took control of the team.

They were overcoming missing Travis Hamonic and for a time, Thomas Hickey, too. The fourth line was surviving without Cal Clutterbuck, and Stephen Gionta became a preferable replacement for Shane Prince.

Andrew Ladd found his niche with, of all people, Jason Chimera. The first line finally looked like a top line. And Ryan Strome was finally rockin’ the confidence and pulling Anthony Beauvillier and Brock Nelson along for the ride.

Losing Casey Cizikas has hurt and weakened the Islanders in the face-off circle – a place they failed miserably yet again in Calgary, losing 62% of them. The lines have been a hodgepodge of combinations and the team has struggled to get back in the groove.

Next: Islanders Fans Unhappy With Rangers Themed Coffee Cups

It looks too familiar and we’re back to wondering how this is the same team that can shut out Montreal one game and get lambasted two days later. With a squandered chance to go up three points in the wildcard race, they better figure it out.