New York Islanders Special Teams Fail Again in 3-1 Winnipeg Loss (Highlights)

The New York Islanders special team fail them as they drop a game they probably should have won 3-1 to the Winnipeg Jets.

Hockey is a funny game. The New York Islanders were on top for most of the game, but a bad penalty against and an equally bad 21 second passage cost the Isles the game.

The New York Islanders were the better team when it came to playing the game 5on5. But it was special teams that cost them the two points.

A theme that’s been going on for sometime now. Hopefully, the most recent loss at the hands of the Isles special team will force Barry Trotz hands into doing more than putting Barzal back on PP1.

After tonight’s game the Isles hold a 13-10-1 record for 29 points and are (at the time of writing) still third in the Metropolitan division.

First Period

The first period had little action. Neither team scored. But the New York Islanders were able to keep one of the better teams in the league quite and to just three shots on goal.

That’s with the Winnipeg Jets getting two minutes on the power play. The Jets have the second best power play coming into the contest with a  29.1 percent efficiency.

Ask Barry Trotz before the game if he’d take a 0-0 tie after 20 minutes and you know he’d say yes.

Second Period

The goalies stole the show in the second period. Both Connor Hellebuyck and Thomas Greiss traded big save to keep the deadlock.

The Jets were much better in generating offense, getting 15 shots on net in the second frame. Thomas Greiss stopped them all, including this incredible reaction save.

Third Period

And then the scoring happened. First it was the New York Islanders. Anders Lee takes full advantage of a rebound that falls to his feet.

Lee now has goals in three straight games to put him at 10 for the year and on pace for 32.

And then the Winnipeg Jets would answer with two goals of their own.

The first of the Jets goals came after Mathew Barzal went to the box for a terrible offensive zone power play. The goal was just over two minutes after Lee’s goal.

The Jets would add another a full 21 second later. Adam Lowry had a simple tap in after a good passage of play from the Jets.

That’s all it took as Nikolaj Ehlers would add an empty netter to make it 3-1.

A bad penalty and a poor power play is what cost the Isles. At 5on5 they were the better team on the ice. If you’re looking for a positive that’s it.

Three Stars

1. Connor Hellebuyck: 0.964SV%

He stopped everything but a single shot. If not for him the Jets certainly would have lost the game.

2. Winnipeg’s PP: 33%

If not for their outstanding power play the Islanders probably win the game.

3. Thomas Greiss: 0.913SV%

Greiss played so well, he deserved better than a loss.