Islanders: What was the worst game in the 2021-22 season?

11/07/2021 vs. the Minnesota Wild

The first meeting between the Islanders and the Minnesota Wild received plenty of votes.

The Islanders headed into the third period with a 2-1 lead on the back of Anders Lee who had two goals through 40 minutes. Things were going well after two periods with the shots pretty even but in favor of the Wild 23-19.

It was the third period where the system really shut down and the Islanders held the door wide open for the Wild to take advantage. In the final frame, the Wild took control of the game, beating Semyon Varlamov twice and adding two empty-net goals on 16 shots meanwhile the Islanders were only able to manage two.

If it wasn't for Varlamov in this one, the score could have actually been a lot worse. Despite allowing three goals against on 37 shots, Varlamov ended the game with a .919 SV% and made all six saves on six shots during two Islander penalty kills.

Following the loss, the Islanders dropped 11 straight games with the last three coming in overtime or a shootout. It was the start of a terrible streak, but because it wasn't in front of their home crowd and the Covid complications and injuries started, it was bad but wasn't the worst game of the season.

12/09/2021 vs. the Nashville Predators

This one received a lot of votes, too. The Islanders finally broke the 11-game losing streak but put themselves back in a losing position shortly after.

In another game where the Islanders held the lead in the third period, they again backed themselves into a corner. Noah Dobson gave the Islanders the lead at 5:08 in the third period. Roughly seven and a half minutes later, Yakov Trenin tied things up and you could feel how deflated the Islanders were. With 11 seconds left on the board, Eeli Tolvanen beat Varlamov to give the Predators the 4-3 lead.

The Islanders were only able to muster up 21-shots in 60 minutes. It was another low-event affair in a low event game despite the score. Varlamov wasn't good in this one, allowing four goals on 29 shots for a measly .862 SV%.

It's understandable why some believe this to be the worst game of the 2021-22 season losing with 11 seconds on the clock in their own arena, but the Islanders finally started to accrue some wins after this one, even if it was only every other game whereas other devastating losses led to more uninspired efforts moving forward. Don't get it twisted, it was bad, real bad, but still not the worst.

02/02/2022 vs. the Seattle Kraken

How could anything bad happen on a date like this? Well... Jordan Eberle returned to Long Island for the first time since being plucked by the Seattle Kraken in the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft and later that night left a happy camper.

This game was by far the consensus worst game of the 2021-22 season and for good reason. The Islanders came out completely flat for a full 60 minutes in Eberle's return. There was no excuse for the Isles in this one either, as a fully healthy roster finally played together and had been so for a few games at this point.

The Islanders were outshot 20-11 through the first 40 minutes of their lifeless effort. Varlamov was the only reason the Kraken were held scoreless through the first two frames. Eberle, of course, found the scoresheet on the Kraken's first goal with a primary assist on Jared McCann's 19th goal of the season giving them a 1-0 lead at 6:04 in the third period. Just over two and a half minutes later, Vince Dunn padded Seattle's lead and in the closing seconds, Mason Appleton hit the empty net to make it 3-0. Varlamov finished the night with 28 saves on 30 shots, but it wasn't enough as he received no support on home ice.

The Islanders defeated the Ottawa Senators 4-1 the night prior, but it was no excuse to lose to the Kraken in front of their home crowd. Seattle finished 30th in the NHL and last in their division allowing 3.46 goals against per game. Philip Grubauer was equally as bad in 55 games this season with a .889 SV% and 3.16 GAA. The Islanders were hopeful that with a healthy roster that they might be able to string some wins together and possibly squeak their way into the playoffs. However, after being shut out by a bottom-five team in the NHL in front of their home crowd, it felt as though their fate was sealed from that game moving forward.

Honorable mentions go to the Islanders' home opener (the debut of UBS Arena) and the 3-2 shootout loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Feb. 20th on home ice. However, they weren't as bad as the previous three. The losses to Minnesota and Nashville were both crushing in their own ways, but losing to a bottom dweller such as Seattle on home ice, with a fully healthy roster, in Eberle's return to Long Island, and aspirations to make a push for the playoffs feels like the worst loss of the season. When Barry Trotz says it's one of the more disappointing games he's coached, you know it's bad.

To me, it's one of the more disappointing games that I've coached as an Islander coach, to be honest with you. It was quite disappointing. We've had some games where we've got taken apart by a really good hockey team, but the effort's there, maybe we made some mistakes, but I just didn't think that our level of desire today was very good.