Islanders weekly winners and losers: Tom Kuhnhackl stands out

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UNIONDALE, NEW YORK – DECEMBER 17: Barry Trotz, the head coach of the New York Islanders handles the bench against the Nashville Predators at NYCB Live’s Nassau Coliseum on December 17, 2019 in Uniondale, New York. The Predators defeated the Islanders 8-3. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /

With three games and a 1-2-0 record this week, what New York Islanders player deserves our praise and what player deserves to be called out?

The week didn’t start well for the New York Islanders with a deflating loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets the Isles were headed towards a slump. That was their third loss in three games against yet another struggling and weakened side.

The week didn’t get any better.

After a short break for the Christmas period, the Isles were back in action against yet another struggling and weakened side in the Chicago Blackhawks. Robin Lehner‘s side would run away with a 5-2 victory.

The slump was official.

No one was playing particularly well. The players weren’t doing the simple things well and that leads to mistakes that the opposition capitalized on. Frequently.

Thankfully, the Islanders were able to come away with a hard-fought 3-1 win over the Minnesota Wild. The players were doing the basic things well and were rewarded for it.

It’s going to be easy to find three losers for the week. Winners might be a bit harder to come by.