Blogger's Note: We apologize for our inactivity over the past week. Both Alex and myself had prior obligations that prevented us from consistent posting. We will be back to normal starting next week as we head into the Thanksgiving holiday.
The night started out with a buzz as the Islanders inducted original captain Ed Westfall into the Islanders Hall-of-Fame, a well deserved honor for the former color commentator and beloved figure in the franchise's community. After a somewhat late start, the game began - only the Islanders did not bother to show up. A 6-0 loss to the Bruins dropped the team to 5-9-3 on the year, which is good enough for last in the Eastern Conference. Of course, these nine losses include their four shutouts against at home. approximately 25% of their total games palyed.
Essentially, the story of the game is that nothing really went right for the Islanders tonight. The offense was non-existent, the defense was putrid, and the goaltending was just as awful. Rick DiPietro started but only made it through 20 minutes before getting pulled after allowing three goals on thirteen shots, including a Nathan Horton goal off a turnover and an easily savable shot off the stick of Chris Kelly. From then on, it was the Anders Nilsson show in his NHL debut. Nilsson was solid in the second, but allowed three goals in the third period despite having no defensive support, especially by the forwards.
The reality is that singling players out would be unfair, as they all did not play well tonight. It's clear that a legitimate shake-up will be needed - one that goes beyond the coach. Despite the obvious notion that the Islanders are a budget team, Garth Snow is going to have to make a trade to change parts around. Blake Comeau does not have a single point this season. Marty Reasoner and Jay Pandolfo have one point each. Brian Rolston has two goals but is playing inflated minutes, a questionable coaching decision at best. But overall, no Bridgeport call-up is going to make a tangible enough difference at this point. The problem stems much deeper than that.
Defensive coverage was spotty as best tonight as well, with Mark Streit boasting a -5 rating tonight. But it's not fair to focus just on Streit, as none of the defensemen had a good game. Their gap control was terrible, there was no clogging of the lanes or board battle victories. The Bruins were able to establish a net front presence, which undoubtedly made things difficult for DiPietro and Nilsson at points.
An interesting situation to follow is the Nino Niederreiter decision - will he stay or will he go? Niederreiter has been pretty impressive, given his age, for the most part even though he had a tough game against Boston. Personally, I believe Niederreiter should be returned to Portland of the Western Hockey League. There should be no rush to develop a 19 year old power forward, especially one who is a very high-end prospect. Niederreiter does not need to be associated with constant losing when he has other options. One argument is that Niederreiter has nothing left to learn at the junior level. That is nonsense, as players never stop learning. Development is a never-ending process, and certainly staying in the WHL for one more season will not hinder his long-term development. The answer comes down to his salary cap hit and if the Islanders can stay over the cap floor without it. But the real question is with the unrestricted free agency age so low, why would the Islanders want to waste a year off his entry-level contract in such a wasted season? Time will tell whether Niederreiter is returned, but all signs are pointing to him stay on Long Island all season.
Getting back to the game, the final result is that the Islanders did not perform well at all. They looked disinterested for most of the game, especially after DiPietro gave up the third goal. The team was unable to recover and deal with the Bruins' team speed, as Boston continually was getting multiple chances in the Islander zone. The Islanders did not play with any physicality whatsoever, which makes playing a team like Boston incredibly hard. Overall, it was a terrible effort on a night where the Islanders needed a victory. Now 5-9-3 after the first 17 games, the team is already way behind the pack in the playoffs. It will be a very tough, if not impossible road ahead. With games against Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and New Jersey next week, things will certainly not get easier. But things will have to get better, or else the Islanders season will be all but over before Christmas for the second straight year.
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