What a change 48 hours makes. On thursday nights loss to Boston, the Islanders looked like a team who utilized speed, knew how to minimize mistakes, and for lack of better words, play hockey.
"We came out and didn't play three periods" was the mantra coming from coach Gordon after the game. Not only did the Isles not play a full game, but the second period where the Devils scored two goals to make it 3-0 may have been the sloppiest period of pro hockey I have ever seen. The period started out with the Nate Thompson taking a boarding penalty which soon led to the Devils showing everyone in the Coliseum how to work the puck on the power play. Withing 40 seconds of being on the power play, Zach Parise wristed one right past a sprawled out Yann Danis to put the Devs up for good.
It wasn't just the goals that made this period painful on a level that I can't describe, it was the small things. Whiffed passes into the middle of the ice, being outskated by New Jersey, lackof pressure in both the offensive and defensive zone, and taking shots from bad shooting lanes. Do they realize that you don't get points for shooting the puck into the goalies chest? Hmmm.
Overall, a much better effort is needed to win. Skating is the most important aspect in Scottt Gordons system, and if the Islanders don't want to go 0-for-January, things have to change very soon.
***ATTN. Gary Bettman: This is not Sean Avery writing this blog, please don't suspend me from NHL activity for saying "sloppy seconds" during the title.
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