COLUMBUS, Ohio — Kyle Palmieri didn’t mince phrases.
“[We] didn’t actually come able to play,” he mentioned following the Islanders’ disappointing 5-4 extra time defeat Friday night time to the last-place Blue Jackets.
After the Islanders put themselves in a 4-2 gap by means of the primary two durations, and wanted to scratch and claw to depart Columbus with a degree, it’s exhausting to argue with that evaluation.
“We all know the significance of each recreation down the stretch right here,” Palmieri mentioned. “Unsure [what happened]. Issues had been simply sloppy. Weren’t shifting our toes. Weren’t in a position to actually generate any velocity by means of the impartial zone or popping out of our zone.
“It finally ends up being gradual and sort of on our heels, chipping pucks out to them with no stress. Then you definately kinda sit again they usually discover a method to get by means of. They discovered a method to capitalize in our D-zone.”
Regardless of a two-day layoff following their victory over the Maple Leafs on Tuesday, the Islanders didn’t discover the requisite degree of depth till the third interval towards a Columbus workforce beset with accidents and on the backside of the standings.
The shot totals had been of their favor, however that didn’t inform the entire story.
The Islanders couldn’t get their forecheck going and struggled to maneuver the puck cleanly within the defensive zone.
The Blue Jackets broke them down for 4 targets within the second interval, with a fifth wiped off for goaltender interference after a profitable problem from Islanders coach Lane Lambert.
After a three-game win streak by which the Islanders made opponents play at their tempo, they had been enjoying into the Blue Jackets’ fingers.
“You’d wish to attempt to get to your recreation immediately and dictate the tempo,” Brock Nelson mentioned. “We possibly weren’t in a position to try this immediately by means of the primary two. However within the third is kinda extra what we had been on the lookout for.”
Certainly, the sport did flip within the third — sufficient to avoid wasting a degree, however not sufficient to get two.
“We noticed it just a little bit, the little pockets that had been profitable and located methods to achieve success,” Palmieri mentioned. “We had the recipe, we simply needed to execute and play quick and on our toes.”
On the entrance finish of a back-to-back with only a 22-hour turnaround, Lane Lambert went with Ilya Sorokin in internet.
Requested whether or not there was any likelihood of Sorokin, who stopped 22 of 27 pictures, enjoying on Saturday towards the Sabres, Lambert shut down the road of questioning.
“We’re not even gonna discuss that proper now,” he mentioned.
Alexander Romanov performed Friday with no face defend for the primary time since previous to the All-Star break, notching 19:53 with three hits and three pictures on internet.