There is something wrong with the New York Islanders

The New York Islanders dropped another game in the third period. This time, it happened on Wednesday at home against the Boston Bruins.

While the Islanders didn’t technically blow a lead like they have in the past, they entered the third period tied at three. The game was well within reach, with the Isles having a solid chance to win. Yet, the Islanders gave up two goals plus an empty-netter to walk away with another loss.

So, what’s wrong with the New York Islanders?

The Islanders have played great games this year against tough times. They’ve shown skill, resilience, and strong work ethic. But when games come down to the wire, something happens. The Isles are unable to close out games. They seemingly lose focus and end up losing games they could win.

Now, I’ve had a theory in mind since the start of the season. The Islanders simply run out of gas in the third period. As such, it’s a physical conditioning thing. It seems like the Isles have trouble keeping up in the latter 10 minutes or so of each game.

To be fair, I’ve written the same thing about the Boston Bruins. There have been stretches this season where the Bruins have gone ice-cold during the third period. For instance, there was that game against the Ottawa Senators a few weeks ago in which the Bruins had zero shots on goal in the third period. That effort was partially the reason why Jim Montgomery got fired.

So, it is just a physical issue for the New York Islanders? Or is there something else at play, too?

The New York Islanders' complex third-period issue isn’t solely on the players

The mainstream narrative is that the New York Islanders lack focus when the game heads down to the wire. They can’t focus and seemingly unravel particularly when playing with the lead.

If that’s the case, it’s on Patrick Roy. Coaches must be able to settle their players down when the game is on the line. The best coaches have something crucial to say when it matters most. They deploy the right players in the right situations.

Most importantly, coaches proactively deal with issues between games. Thus far, we haven’t seen any of that from Roy. There are times when the look on his face is like a deer caught in the headlights.

I hate to pin this situation solely on Roy. But it seems there is no other explanation. The Islanders are among the best teams in the league during the first 40 minutes of games. As my colleague Michael Stahurski pointed out, if games were 40, the Islanders would be tops in the NHL.

But games are 60 minutes long. And, when looking closely, it’s the last 10 minutes that are the most devastating. Unfortunately, it’s becoming increasingly clear that Patrick Roy must right the ship immediately.

Otherwise, the Islanders could be looking at a lost season and a new coach.