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All year, the Islanders have struggled to manage the puck through the neutral zone.
On Monday, it bit them in a big way.
“Way too many turnovers,” Islanders coach Barry Trotz said following a 5-4 loss to the Avalanche at UBS Arena in which his team was outclassed for much of the affair. “You’re playing against a team that has that much firepower and you’re not managing the puck or you’re not making plays at that speed. And therefore, they’re coming right at you.”
For much of the game, that’s exactly what happened. The scoreline looked better for the Islanders thanks to a three-goal surge in the third and Semyon Varlamov’s play in net, but the Avalanche dominated much of the game. Particularly in the first two periods, Colorado spent extended time in the Islanders’ zone, cycling the puck and retaining possession as the Isles tried and failed to make it through center ice.
Though Varlamov stoned Colorado through that part of the game, it couldn’t last forever, and four Avalanche goals came in a 4:21 flurry during the third period. Finally, the Islanders’ issues had caught up to them.
“I think we just didn’t do a good enough job knowing when to make the play or time to make a play, get pucks in deep,” Noah Dobson said. “When we’re going good, we’re getting pucks in deep, we’re heavy on the forecheck and it’s hard for the other team. I think we just didn’t do enough of that tonight.”
Trotz acknowledged that some of the turnovers — 12 by the official count — were forced by a good Colorado team. But ultimately, this was a bed the Islanders made for themselves.
“There’s some that are not forced. Like the third [Colorado] goal wasn’t forced,” Trotz said. “There was no reason, that one, I go back and probably look at a couple others. There’s errant passes, a couple others, those type of things. You can’t do that against this team.
“It’s about puck management versus puck possession against transitional teams like the Avalanche.”
On Monday, the Islanders failed miserably to find that balance.
The Islanders added center Austin Czarnik via waivers on Sunday, sending the 29-year old to AHL Bridgeport. Czarnik played 11 games for the Isles earlier this season, scoring two goals with three assists. It wouldn’t be at all surprising to see him called up, particularly if Mathew Barzal misses extended time with his lower-body injury.
“I think it gives us some depth,” Trotz said. “We don’t know how it’s gonna go in the next 50 days here with 30 games. We start playing all these games, we start getting nicked up. A guy like Czarny is like Zach [Parise], he can play in multiple positions, give us some really good minutes.”
Trotz said the time table for the return of both Barzal and Zdeno Chara is still unclear, saying both are in “different phases” of the rehab process. Chara is on injured reserve, while Barzal has previously been described as day-to-day.
The Islanders honored Devon Toews with a video tribute in his first game back on Long Island after being traded to the Avalanche in October 2020. Toews recorded his 12th goal of the season.
The Islanders gave up a season-high 49 shots on net to Colorado.
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