Up there with Buffalo for the worst effort of the season despite the final score, kind of team play where a gm/coach has to wonder if it's time for a trade after the game in Washington because despite the shot disparity and the Islanders in Atlanta's end of the ice they did not generate nearly enough quality chances.
No excuses at all for this and the Islanders got exactly what they deserved.
Atlanta was horrible in this game for sixty minutes.
Takes talent to come out and generate that little in quality chances against another club waiting to lose that gave up an early goal (had only fourteen shots and led
5-1) that kept giving the Islanders powerplays who generated virtually nothing with them.
Sooner or later Atlanta was going to get some chances, they got a bounce on Boulton's goal off Witt but it never should have come to that. Sillinger did not have Little.
Another game where the Islanders could not put two passes together in the offensive zone or sustain any kind of forecheck after the opening two minutes where Weight's
low-percentage pass made it to Streit before Guerin took a return for a shot that went through Hedberg.
Scott Gordon looked like a man who found some of Ted Nolan's old powerplay notes to live and die by.
Powerplay time he put on Hilbert, Park out for close to two minutes each in the first two periods knowing their career offensive numbers do not lie.
Islanders died, this is where the game was lost because they needed a shooter.
Expecting skill goals from them is not going to happen, a bounce off someone for a rediretion goal sure (Meyer) but this is not how you score big goals with any kind of consistency.
Career records do not lie, same for Jackman, Thompson.
Put Bergenheim (who at even strength better get his act together with the offensive zone penalties because it looks lazy and immature) on the powerplay for a whopping twenty seven seconds through two periods?
Get Blake Comeau who was easily the best Islander forward (two excellent early chances, pass to Sillinger for good chance, big second period hit and setup) twelve seconds?
Skill players make skill plays. Forwards who do not have hands will most likely not score which is where Jackman comes in who was one of the few other forwards working but we know will not finish on a regular basis at this level.
Not much else on offense except Comeau finding Streit in the third for a post before hitting one of his own.
Sutton was a horror show, his second period turnover for Kovalchuk's goal, the third period penalty with Park's stick.
Pock another minus three and some running around.
MacDonald should have sued for non-support, major league chop when he came out late in the game.
Good thing Atlanta is a terrible third period team so the Islanders could barely test Hedberg.
This loss was that bad, so were the Thrashers.
Will be interesting to see how Scott Gordon reacts live.
