GDT: GDT #32 New York Islanders @ Washington Capitals | December 20th | 7:30 PM | F/3-2 OTL

[PK Cronin]

This is the point I was trying to make, not that "loser points should be ignored." If you have a lot of loser points, it just means you go to OT a lot and have had bad luck in 3v3 and shootouts. It doesn't mean the team is a fraud or doesn't deserve it's place in the standings. In fact, I'd think a team that has a lot of loser points is probably a tad underrated given all of the bad luck in the skills competitions compared to a team that has won a lot of bonus points post-60 minutes.

It depends how you get to OT for me. Are you blowing leads like crazy late in games? Are you coming back from multiple goals down?

Showing resiliency and coming back from being down is a positive trait. Blowing multi-goal leads late in games is a negative one. The Islanders blew too many games in the first third of the season for my liking and I still don't have faith in them being able to close games out.

 

[MJF]

It depends how you get to OT for me. Are you blowing leads like crazy late in games? Are you coming back from multiple goals down?

Showing resiliency and coming back from being down is a positive trait. Blowing multi-goal leads late in games is a negative one. The Islanders blew too many games in the first third of the season for my liking and I still don't have faith in them being able to close games out.

That was an issue when the team was healthy. The amount of rubber our goalies see in the 3rd period of games I still find troubling. Hopefully with the Reilly acquisition and a refreshed top 3 D, we can figure out a way to stop getting hemmed in our end for long stretches in the 3rd, break the puck out instead of flipping it out--line change--opponent regroups, and maybe even get a scoring chance or two.

 

[PK Cronin]

That was an issue when the team was healthy. The amount of rubber our goalies see in the 3rd period of games I still find troubling. Hopefully with the Reilly acquisition and a refreshed top 3 D, we can figure out a way to stop getting hemmed in our end for long stretches in the 3rd, break the puck out instead of flipping it out--line change--opponent regroups, and maybe even get a scoring chance or two.

I'm optimistic that they can figure it out but I think there's a structural deficiency that won't be fully addressed, just covered up by better players coming back. I hope Pelech, Mayfield, ,and Pulock mesh well with Reilly and Bortuzzo but we won't know until we see it.

They need to keep Martin and Wahlstrom on the sidelines. The team is better when they aren't out there every night.

 

[Zeeker]

I am happy that Lambert seems to have gotten that under control.

They’ve blown three of the last four third period leads they’ve had the opportunity to protect. And the one they didn’t (Edmonton) was hardly convincing.

I agree with PK that by no means does this feel over and done with.

 

[MJF]

I'm optimistic that they can figure it out but I think there's a structural deficiency that won't be fully addressed, just covered up by better players coming back. I hope Pelech, Mayfield, ,and Pulock mesh well with Reilly and Bortuzzo but we won't know until we see it.

They need to keep Martin and Wahlstrom on the sidelines. The team is better when they aren't out there every night.

Aho on the sidelines too.

And I agree with every word of your post.

 

[danteipp]

Glad you mentioned that, I couldn't believe how many times pucks were taking small hops. For Barzal, it must have felt like a minefield after a while. It was certainly more of a chip and chase game, as stickhandling on both teams was spotty.

I was in an out making dinner while the game was going on, but even the first period was bad. Like you said, the way the puck was hopping along, it looked like the ice had speed bumps embedded in it.

For a player like Barzal, who has to pass and shoot more while fighting his natural habit to skate in circles and curl, if your passing game fails, you revert to bad habits. If is easy for us to sit back and just say, shoot or pass, but on the ice, in real time, fighting through those instincts is a lot harder.

Add in the mental and physical fatigue of three games in four nights, and I am not going to take too much away from this one game. Take the point, chalk it up to a learning experience, and hopefully some of the defensmen come back soon to help out.

 

[Mr Misunderstood]

I'm optimistic that they can figure it out but I think there's a structural deficiency that won't be fully addressed, just covered up by better players coming back. I hope Pelech, Mayfield, ,and Pulock mesh well with Reilly and Bortuzzo but we won't know until we see it.

They need to keep Martin and Wahlstrom on the sidelines. The team is better when they aren't out there every night.

I can't believe I'm saying this....Gauthier's presence was missed last night.

Kinda crazy how one guy makes the entire team look faster.

 

[MJF]

I'm optimistic that they can figure it out but I think there's a structural deficiency that won't be fully addressed, just covered up by better players coming back. I hope Pelech, Mayfield, ,and Pulock mesh well with Reilly and Bortuzzo but we won't know until we see it.

They need to keep Martin and Wahlstrom on the sidelines. The team is better when they aren't out there every night.

The people who are GUSHING over the Isles recent play need to realize this is a different team from the one that was solid for the first 40 minutes of games only to blow multi goal leads in the 3rd period, and couldn't find the back of the net on power plays. In the near future Lane Lambert is going to have some tough decisions to make on a couple of his mainstays. Let's hope he has the nerve to Wally Pip a couple of those guys.

I can't believe I'm saying this....Gauthier's presence was missed last night.

Kinda crazy how one guy makes the entire team look faster.

When the team has no legs any element of speed is missed.

Gauthier had a couple of lousy games before he got hurt. I hope that doesn't keep him in the press box after he recovers from his eye injury.

 

[saintunspecified]

It was brutal scheduling for the Islanders to play two back to backs with the latter two being road games (one international) within a week. Not surprised they're tired, and not too concerned about last night. They did what they needed to do, gummed it up, finished strong, and Pageau's double OT brain fart killed the chance for a 2nd point.

What I absolutely loved was Lee's tying goal was set up by Capital's absolute obsession with giving Barzal the business, which created the opportinity for a scoring chance. He stayed up, fought for the puck, didn't retaliate against the cross checks, and gave his teammates a shot. People can say what they want, but NYI don't get that point without Barzy. He got a bit silly, but he was fired up, and I loved it. We'd all be screaming about Fehervary being an idiot on that play. I don't blame him when does the dipsy-doodle routine in the defensive/neutral zone when it seems that the defenders simply can't make that first pass, or move their feet enough to break out.

NYI need 1-2 wingers. Parise could be 1, but they need at least one more.

 

[Osakahaus]

It was brutal scheduling for the Islanders to play two back to backs with the latter two being road games (one international) within a week. Not surprised they're tired, and not too concerned about last night. They did what they needed to do, gummed it up, finished strong, and Pageau's double OT brain fart killed the chance for a 2nd point.

What I absolutely loved was Lee's tying goal was set up by Capital's absolute obsession with giving Barzal the business, which created the opportinity for a scoring chance. He stayed up, fought for the puck, didn't retaliate against the cross checks, and gave his teammates a shot. People can say what they want, but NYI don't get that point without Barzy. He got a bit silly, but he was fired up, and I loved it. We'd all be screaming about Fehervary being an idiot on that play. I don't blame him when does the dipsy-doodle routine in the defensive/neutral zone when it seems that the defenders simply can't make that first pass, or move their feet enough to break out.

NYI need 1-2 wingers. Parise could be 1, but they need at least one more.

They should go and get Duclair still. I think he would fit better on the third line over Gauthier and Wahlstrom.

 

[TMI]

Something that seems to get lost in all this discussion about "loser points" and how many the Isles have, is the fact they've only lost in regulation 8 times in 32 games. Put another way, they've earned points in 3 out of every 4 games so far. That's impressive. There are only 5 teams in the entire NHL with less, and a few are close with 2 or even 3 less games played.

As far as blowing leads in the third and where they COULD be, there really has been a noticeable difference in their last 10-ish games. As some have noted, they may not be holding onto the lead but they are not blowing them the same way. No guys left wide open for easy tap ins at the side of the net. Closing gaps and taking the man in front of the net. Even against the Oilers, they gave up the outside for most of the third but hardly allowed any close in, rebound, loose puck opportunities. They are getting better.

How much of that is due to the lineup currently playing vs what we (hopefully) have back from injury soon, time will tell.

But even the cereal pissers, if they'd been told the Isles would pick up points in 3 out of every 4 games 32 games in, I'm sure they would have taken it. This team just MIGHT be better than most of us thought at the start of the year.

 

[Osakahaus]

Something that seems to get lost in all this discussion about "loser points" and how many the Isles have, is the fact they've only lost in regulation 8 times in 32 games. Put another way, they've earned points in 3 out of every 4 games so far. That's impressive. There are only 5 teams in the entire NHL with less, and a few are close with 2 or even 3 less games played.

As far as blowing leads in the third and where they COULD be, there really has been a noticeable difference in their last 10-ish games. As some have noted, they may not be holding onto the lead but they are not blowing them the same way. No guys left wide open for easy tap ins at the side of the net. Closing gaps and taking the man in front of the net. Even against the Oilers, they gave up the outside for most of the third but hardly allowed any close in, rebound, loose puck opportunities. They are getting better.

How much of that is due to the lineup currently playing vs what we (hopefully) have back from injury soon, time will tell.

But even the cereal pissers, if they'd been told the Isles would pick up points in 3 out of every 4 games 32 games in, I'm sure they would have taken it. This team just MIGHT be better than most of us thought at the start of the year.

Also this team is racking up points. If they can beat the Canes and Penguins, then they're fine. Those are games that they have to get. Also they're 1-1-1 against the Caps so far, better than last season but not by much.

 

[doublechili]

@doublechili

Hey, a podcast named after you...

Thanks for letting me know. My avatar too! I have my crack team of lawyers drafting an airtight cease and desist order request as we speak.

 

[doublechili]

Why do people call OTL loser points?

At the conclusion of regulation of a tied game each team gets a point. That sounds like a tie to me.

The extra point is the NHL’s way of being all NHL gimmicky.

I would say the regulation record is a better indicator of how a team would do in the playoffs, where there are no OT gimmicks.

Yeah, the mirage is a team that gets an unusual amount of points via a format that doesn't exist in the playoffs (3v3 OT and SO). We don't have that "problem".

Think when Barzy gets tired he reverts a bit to a more instinctive style of play.

I wonder if it's also possible that his line mates were tired and not getting open, so he circled because he had no pass options? I don't expect a good response to this.

 

[YearlyLottery]

They’ve blown three of the last four third period leads they’ve had the opportunity to protect. And the one they didn’t (Edmonton) was hardly convincing.

I agree with PK that by no means does this feel over and done with.

I mean numbers can be changed any which way you want though. In Edmonton they protected the lead and won simple as that. Boston was a true back and forth game. Toronto they ended up winning. The other one I see is SJ which was the beginning of December. They have also beat Anaheim on the back of a strong third, came back to beat LA down 2-0 in the third, and blew out Columbus in the same time frame. If we are going this far back we can also talk about them holding the lead against Florida as well.

Of course this has been a glaring issue but the team has gotten noticeably better and this is all without Pelech, Pulock, and Mayfield.

 

[BelovedIsles]

I can't believe I'm saying this....Gauthier's presence was missed last night.

Kinda crazy how one guy makes the entire team look faster.

I thought Wahlstrom looked solid. He's his puck skills are strong.

 

[doublechili]

I thought Wahlstrom looked solid. He's his puck skills are strong.

Okay, I wasn't the only one. There were a handful of times where I thought "good play" re: Wahlstrom last night.

 

[Mr Misunderstood]

I thought Wahlstrom looked solid. He's his puck skills are strong.

I think that's fair, I noticed a few good things from him as well. They had just entered the zone and he found himself kinda trapped on between the wall, a defender and the blueline.

He really had no good move and wasn't able to make a pass so quickly fired one on net. Wally's release surprised Kuemper and forced him to make a save. That was a solid, simple, smart play.

My comment was probably more in favor of Gauthier than criticizing Wally the other night.