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New York Islanders 3 Takeaways from 5-2 Win Over Edmonton Oilers

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 16: Darnell Nurse #25 of the Edmonton Oilers fights with Anders Lee #27 of the New York Islanders during the second period at the Barclays Center on February 16, 2019 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 16: Darnell Nurse #25 of the Edmonton Oilers fights with Anders Lee #27 of the New York Islanders during the second period at the Barclays Center on February 16, 2019 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /
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UNIONDALE, NY – MARCH 29: An overhead view of the penalty box at the hockey rink photographed prior to the game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the New York Islanders at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum on March 29, 2012 in Uniondale, New York. The Islanders defeated the Penguins 5-3. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
UNIONDALE, NY – MARCH 29: An overhead view of the penalty box at the hockey rink photographed prior to the game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the New York Islanders at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum on March 29, 2012 in Uniondale, New York. The Islanders defeated the Penguins 5-3. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /

Discipline?

With Connor McDavid out on the ice, the New York Islanders can’t be handing him opportunities to score. Going a man down plays exactly into Connor McDavid, and the Edmonton Oilers hands.

Penalties happen, but the New York Islanders needed to be disciplined in order to minimize the chance of one being called against them. They weren’t.

The New York Islanders took a number of penalties that could have easily been avoided. Penalties like:

Josh Bailey high-sticking Ryan Nugent-Hopkins in the face for no clear reason. You can argue that Bailey was just trying to lift RNH’s stick, but was so far from Hopkin’s stick that it’s hard to believe that was the aim.

Or Leo Komarov hold on Adam Larsson as the two raced for the puck in the Edmonton end. There wasn’t much of a hold, but it was enough to send Larsson crashing into the boards skates first. It’s one of the reasons no-touch icing is a thing in the NHL.

Or Brock Nelson holding Connor McDavid late in the third period. Connor McDavid is great at drawing penalties, but don’t gift him one. And certainly not in the dying minutes of a 3-2 game.

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Thankfully, the Oilers would only convert on one (the Komarov penalty). And thankfully, the Islanders were able to counter with an Anders Lee goal to kill the game at 4-2. But the Islanders didn’t make it easy on themselves.

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