Islanders News: Turnovers can be costly

Well, you have to hand it to the New York Islanders. They’re committed to earning a better draft pick. They recognize the need for an infusion of young, potentially elite talent and are doing what they can to make that happen.

And that’s why they graciously allowed the Vancouver Canucks to score the game-tying and game-winning goals within 45 seconds of one another.

Islanders News

Recaps and such:

• Once again, the Islanders made too many mistakes and turned over the puck too much, and they ended up in the back of the net. [LHH]
• I’m sorry, Barry, you said that turnovers are like what?

• The two goals in 45 seconds that won it for Vancouver were the result of blown coverage (first goal) and an awful turnover and possibly even worse recovery (second goal). [NHL]
• Defeat snatched from the jaws of victory—you have to applaud the Islanders for innovating new ways to lose every game. Kanye West could not reinvent himself so much. [Newsday]
• You can’t expect to win when you blow two leads. Vancouver blew one lead, but the Islanders blew two leads. [Rapid Recap]
• But Noah Dobson and Kyle Palmieri, despite combining for that blown coverage I described above, continued to produce. [3 Takeaways]
• Dobson actually has done something no defenseman his age has done in an Islanders uniform since Bryan Berard—pretty lofty comparison. [NYI Skinny]
• Semyon Varlamov also had another rough night. [NY Post]
• But Barry Trotz sees his no. 2 goalie improving as he gets back up to speed post-covid. [Newsday]
• Neither goalie has gotten much help from their defense of late, though. [NY Post]

Just plain ol’ bits:

• Kevin Kurz answers your questions in the mailbag: Expect a re-tool on the fly and to run it back next year with the current core. I don’t mind that. I do think all the hockey that they’ve played in the last couple years—and much of it being intense playoff hockey—combined with the stops and starts and the long road trip just took too much of a toll on them. [The Athletic]
• The Isles are finally getting some offense from the back end. [Newsday]
• Most of that is due to Dobson, who has officially broken out, I’d say. [NY Post]
• The latest rumors update, including Zdeno Chara and Marc-André Fleury, both of whom likely aren’t leaving their current teams. [E$PN+]
• This (Yester)Day in Isles History: The Islanders retired Mike Bossy’s no. 22 thirty (30!) years ago yesterday. That scares me—because that was 1992, and I was born in 1994, which means 30 is ever-approaching...
• There are a couple of New York Nets ABA Championship banners from the Coliseum that need to be auctioned off. [Newsday]

Elsewhere

Last night’s NHL scores include the Capitals shutting out the ‘Canes and the Penguins silencing the Lightning.

• Also, Duncan Keith, the washed-up Oilers defenseman, returned home to Chicago and a warm ovation and an overtime loss. [ESPN]
• Phil Kessel, a pending UFA, will be traded from the Arizona Coyotes before the deadline; it’s just a matter of where, and Sportsnet picks five potential destinations. [Sportsnet]
• The Carolina Hurricanes will get to play in their first outdoor game next season. They’ll host the Washington Capitals at North Carolina State. [NHL]