What excuses did he make? Lee is an important player on and off the ice for the Islanders. I don't think many would disagree with this. You do not have to a new Islanders fan to know this. I am assuming you are an Islanders fan. Just as Pelech was an important player for the Isles were last year when he was hurt. These are not examples of excuses. They just point to the Isles missing key players. I am sure most Islanders fans are realistic the challenge is bigger when they are without them, but none I have seen have made the excuses you seem to have read, though I know you have said you were a reader and now new poster to the forum.
I don't think there was anything satirical about it. That poster has been on about Lee's absence as the reason for anything bad that happens to Isles since the injury occurred. Lee is a fine player and his loss matters, but no matter how many times he says the same thing about what a pivotal player Lee is to this team, all Lee's absence does is highlight this teams inability to overcome injuries in a way that other good teams seem to be able to. I'm tired of hearing about it. Lee is not available to the team and Lou made his moves, in fact has gone all in. Win games. And btw, all of the talk about how losing Lee has affected Barzal says more about Barzal than it does about Lee.
Yeah. Was going to be tough to go 8-0 against a team. They also were playing for their goalie. Doesn't excuse the let down game the Isles played, but you simply aren't going to win them all. More interested now in the response tonight, that will be more telling.
every year, there are a few teams that have great depth, and can lose a top line forward, without flinching. the Isles are not one of those teams.
What do expect people to discuss on an Islanders hockey forum if they can not talk about how Lee's absence means to the team. Surely you should know by now reading posts and now just by starting to post a couple weeks ago on the Isles forum from your layoff from your last post in the TB and Columbus series, 7 months ago, strange an Islanders fan would first post there? That fans have been talking about finding a winger for Barzal since Lee went down. This is what fans talk about, why do you want to shut down discussion on this? This is a viable topic heading into the playoffs. Discussing this is not making excuses. It just points to the challenge The Islanders have this playoffs. Islanders fans are realistic. You don't have to click the topic if you are quote sick of hearing about it.
Lee is gone for this season and he isn't coming back. Speculating about what might be if he were still playing is pointless. Lee is a good player and it's a loss, but the weighting given by many to Lee's departure is out of balance with his actual production, particularly against teams not from Buffalo. Let's deal with the reality before us, not pine for what might be otherwise.
I made this point the year Lee scored 40. When you look at his entire 40 goal's that season, he was a creation of himself, and not the one that people referred to. Won't mention that player's nane. He is vastly underrated even to this franchise. 7M per was a discount IMO, and at worst fair for a player that is great in the community, a leader on and off the ice, and a damn pretty productive and good player. I recall so many key moments he had last playoffs, the fight, the set up of Eberle's OT goal. The goals. Always well spoken to. When Bailey said he was the heart beat of the Isles, I think he was correct. Since he is usually healthy it is strange not having him there on Barzal's wing. Barzal's play has dropped, I think it is more in his head of having Lee there, rather than a player's talent. Sure they miss Lee's net presence, but maybe more of what he says, how he leads on and off the ice. Isles have the character to overcome the loss. They will have to.
