At least one New York Islanders player showed up to Washington, D.C. on Tuesday night. That player was goaltender Ilya Sorokin. The rest of the team? Nowhere to be found.
The frustration that the Islanders’ recent play has caused is beyond embarrassing. In fact, this team looks to be either be checked out or showing their inability to gel as a group. With that already said, I shouldn’t also need to remind you that trade deadline acquisitions Kyle Palmieri and Travis Zajac were also invisible on Tuesday night, should I?
The Capitals scored early on and never looked back. New York’s anemic power-play got absolutely nothing done except helping the Caps and their goaltender, Vitek Vanecek. The Isles had a four-on-three-man advantage late in the third period and completely botched that opportunity. With their net empty, Ryan Pulock, under little pressure, mishandled the puck, which ended up outside the blue line and almost led to a Capitals empty-net goal.
New York lost 1-0. The Caps have now shut them out twice in their last three games.
Down the stretch, this play is completely and utterly unacceptable and frankly pathetic. Once again, they find themselves on the brink of being a playoff team. After their next two games, the New York Rangers could pull within one point of the Isles. These two teams see each other on Thursday and Saturday. Without a win in at least one of them, the Isles are officially under a ton of pressure. We can only hope a collapse isn’t near.
The boys and blue and orange head to Manhattan to take on the Broadway Blueshirts on Thursday. Puck drop is set for 7:00 PM Eastern Time.
