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.