Not all losing points are created equal, and the Islanders like yesterday’s

On By Littum

Not all loser points are created equal. Some are frustrating, earned only after blowing up leads and losing the extra point. The New York Islanders certainly know a thing or two about that.

But sometimes a team steals a losing point and comes back to force overtime in a game they had no business being in or doing. That is, for a change, how the Islanders earned their latest losing point last night. Aside from a few stretches, the Edmonton Oilers mostly dominated the Islanders and opened up a two-goal lead in the third period. No one would blame you if you thought the islands were cooked — well, except Anders Lee and Ilya Sorokin.

After Sorokin kept the Islanders from being blown out by Northern Alberta, Lee scored two third-period goals, including an Islanders 6-on-5 goal(?!), to force overtime. Of course, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl on the ice together at 3-on-3 would be a cheat code, even against a fully healthy roster, which the Islanders obviously don’t have right now; without Mat Barzal, the mission would be even tougher. But while the Islanders shouldn’t be satisfied with how they played overall, they should be satisfied with grabbing an extra standing point to open this trip out west. They have points in their last four games (2-0-2) and in five of their last six. They are well on their way to another psychotic record, now 6-6-4.

And as an added bonus, the Islanders prevented us from seeing another opposing player achieve a milestone: McDavid entered the contest five points shy of 1,000, but he got just four from the Islanders.

Islanders news

About last night:
  • It wasn’t just Lee and Sorokin; Kyle Palmieri and Max Tsyplakov also contributed with a nice goal and Palmieri had a good night. (LHH)
  • Patrick Roy had the same takeaway as I wrote, that this is a losing point that you are happy to take. (Islanders)
  • The Islanders haven’t won in Edmonton since March 2017 and lost 12 of their last 13 there. (News day)
  • But they know they were lucky to even get a point last night. (NEW Mail)

“Ilya Sorokin has faced at least forty shots once this season and 30 times in his career. Only Billy Smith, who played more than three times as many games as an Islander, faced 40 more often (46 times).

“Sorokin has made at least 40 saves 18 times in his career, which is a franchise record. He finished with 38 saves tonight.” (NYI Skinny)

Not just about last night:
  • Palmieri traded the fishbowl for Shawn Bates’ long visor and that helped his one-off goal. (THN)
  • Alex Romanov has been training in a non-contact jersey and did not play last night. They don’t rush him back, so wise, even though we miss him. (News day)
  • Isaiah George’s start may have surprised us, but his junior team isn’t shocked. (NEW Mail | Athletics)
  • Roy appreciates Matt Martin as a leader and appreciates that Martin remains a leader even as a part-time employee. Last night was match no. 960 for the veteran. (News day)
  • This day in the history of the islands: Double Chilli Night vs. Rangers (1979); Islanders trade for Ray Ferraro from Hartford Whalers (1990).

Other places

Last night’s NHL scores include the Jets going on a winning streak and going 15-1-0 by beating the Rangers on the road. Also, the Devils snapped the Panthers’ seven-game winning streak.

  • The Penguins’ loss the other night was so embarrassing that Evgeni Malkin apologized to the fans for it. (NHL)
  • That may have started the sales, because then they traded Lars Eller back to the Capitals for a couple of draft picks. (NHL)
  • Former NHLer and former Team Sweden GM and coach Johan Garpenlov says his country should not allow Erik Karlsson to represent them. (Twitter)