Top 3 moments that Islanders looked foolish in 2019-20

Devon Toews doing the Bird

Five days after that 6-2 loss to the Rangers, the Islanders had a big game on Long Island against the Metropolitan Division and league leaders Washington Capitals.

After that embarrassing loss to the Rangers, the Islanders needed a big win to feel good about themselves. Taking down the best team in the league would certainly help the players, staff, and fans feel better about their team.

By the end of the second period, the Islanders were running rampant over the Capitals with a 4-1 scoreline. But as the Isles put in their fourth goal against the Caps, goal scorer Devon Toews got too hyped and decided to do Evgeny Kuznetsov‘s famous celebration to mock the Caps.

Bad call.

The Washington Capitals would come into the third period with a huge chip on their shoulders. The 2018 Stanley Cup champions would not be mocked so easily.

In the third period, the Caps would put up five unanswered goals to take a 6-4 win over the Islanders. As Trotz would say after the game, the Isles poked the bear and paid the price.

Toews’s celebration wasn’t the only reason the Islanders lost, but it certainly didn’t help in the least. Devon Toews certainly must-have felt particularly foolish for his celebration.

8-3 Loss to the Nashville Predators

A month before the 6-2 loss to the Rangers the Isles welcomed the Nashville Predators to the Nassau Coliseum. With wins over the Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers, and Buffalo Sabres, the Isles were getting back on track with a three-game winning-streak before welcoming the Preds.

Leading up to the game, Nashville and had gone 3-2-0 over their last five games and held a 15-6-2 record good enough for sixth in the Central Division with 35 points. They were also coming to the game after playing the Rangers the night before.

After going down 1-0 4:39 into the game, the Islanders were able to bounce back with a strong opening eight minutes in the second period. With goals from Brock Nelson, Derick Brassard, and then a short-handed goal from Casey Cizikas they were up 3-1.

With a 3-1 lead in goals and with a 10-2 lead in shots at that point in the period, the Isles looked like they’d cruise to a win. And then the Islanders folded like a house of cards. The Predators held a 7-1 shot advantage after Cizikas’s goal, scoring on four of those seven shots to take a 5-3 lead.

Not only did the Isles take their foot off the gas, but they made mistake after mistake. Two of the Predators goals in the second period came directly following a giveaway or takeaway.

Nick Bonino‘s goal to make it 4-3 would come off a Devon Toews giveaway, and Rocco Grimaldi‘s goal to make it 5-3 came from a Filip Forsberg takeaway on Adam Pelech.

Nashville would put up four unanswered goals in the second period and add another three in the third for an embarrassing 8-3 scoreline.

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This game alone showed us that no lead was comfortable for the New York Islanders. Going up 3-1 halfway through the game was never a sign that a win was imminent even though the Isles were 57-2-3 when scoring three goals under Barry Trotz before the loss.