Islanders News: Digesting the first two regulation losses; Bridgeport power(less)

As coaches sometimes do when their team isn't getting anything going, Jack Capuano shuffled his top two lines during Saturday night's 3-2 loss to the Nashville Predators. It produced momentary results -- Frans Nielsen and John Tavares each scored in the middle of the second period while lining up in the other's stead -- but the Islanders' early-season problems remained.

Whether those issues (like being outshot regularly) are persistent, or whether they are fixable blips in the early schedule, well that's the fun of reading things into the opening weeks of the schedule, where things like Colorado going undefeated while giving up 34 shots a game happen.

Some reads on that, Bridgeport's poor weekend and beyond:

• NYIFYI: "Ryan Ellis's game winning goal represented everything we don't like with this Isles team so far: a defense that collapses too soon, and a goaltender that tends to give up the long goal every so often. Andrew MacDonald was anticipating too much and backed-up to the point where Ellis wound up."
• Newsday: "But the momentum turned when a Predators breakout resulted in a transition goal by Patric Hornqvist that tied the score at 2 with 53 seconds left in the second."
• The Skinny: "The Isles were held under 20 shots for the first time in consecutive games (one season) since October 28-31, 2000 vs. Montreal and Boston."
• In Bridgeport, the Sound Tigers heavily outshot Manchester but lost 3-0 Saturday, marked by coming up empty on 11 power plays. More bits from that in Fornabaio's Soundin' Off blog. Phil Giubileo has a bit more.
• Highlights from Saturday below, including a fight by captain Chris Bruton:

• The Sound Tigers are in action this afternoon against Springfield, with Kenny Reiter in net, and the power play had already allowed a shorthanded goal in the first.
  
• UPDATE: Many shots, but Bridgeport lost again and managed only one goal. IPB has an overview.
  
• Further down, in the ECHL, Stockton wrapped up its preseason schedule, and coach called Kirill Kabanov good away from the puck.
• Disappointed to not crack the NHL lineup, Griffin Reinhart is saying all the right things about returning to WHL Edmonton.
• A very careful, meticulous scientific process at the Post declares John Tavares the new face of New York sports. Because you were wondering.
• You can now bid on this, uh, "interesting" Jeep autographed by all the Islanders.
• Obligatory Eric Nystrom bit with the Isles playing his team in Nashville last night.
• Minnesota beat writer loves Nino Niederreiter.
• Not Isles at all but: Ye gods, this Canucks own goal.