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Season Ends for New York In Overtime

Not Optimistic About Game 6 in New York

They had to give Sorokin a chance, they have to produce with the powerplays they get (if any) & the refs can't decide the game. Lane Lambert, he's going on sixty, and this team needs what Rick Bowness said after Winnipeg was eliminated going into the game. It's time to show up & beat a middling first place team, loaded with talent but with the kind of injuries that made them very beatable down the stretch.
Let's see five goals tonight and the kind of statement game that wore down Boston/Pittsburgh during the Covid playoffs.
I fully expected a win before game five, it was not a statement win, tonight I have big doubts.

New York Returns to the City For Game Six Friday.

Anyone who read my twitter knew I fully expected a win here in game five. I wanted a statement win against a Carolina team with injuries that limped down the stretch with a very beatable goalie. I did not get a statement. Sorokin stole another game, the usual veterans (not Barzal) produced one goal, and Nelson had a nice bat-in goal off Aho's face. They got a review but took only twenty shots, and many seemed very happy to call it a season here. So I'm not happy, it's not the kind of win where Carolina should be leading 3-2 but know they have a problem, and this New York team is waking up. I did not see that or the desperation or the scoring from so many overdue veterans. Ok, they get a two day break (has Buffalo caught up yet) and another neutral site game on Friday. I don't think Sorokin can stop them all the way, and without some five goals games will not win this series.

Win or elimination Game 5

Yes, refs decided games 1-2-4, but reality check, they don't score for 55 minutes most games they are not going to win often. It's time to back up all the character with a win here, if not it's time for major changes losing to 1/2 a team with skaky goaltending. I expect a win here, and don't write that often, the best players to step up and start working toward a comeback in this series.

New York Playoffs Round One Vs Carolina

Here we are, not a tournament or a play-in. NY earned it's spot despite low playoff cut. Many would see playing a 1st place team as the one to avoid most but Carolina at the team most would consider the weakest. Having written that Carolina held 1st wire to wire & won game after game with Devils all over them to the final game. They are well tested in must win games in terms of holding that top spot & unlike last year have two healthy goalies. We have seen them tired, struggling, and dominating with speed/skill.
As for New York we'll see, if Sorokin can steal games or many vets can raise their production which was terrible. Horvat, Lee, Nelson must score, Barzal has to produce as a winger off his second leg injury. Can D hold, will old forwards win pucks in corners, in transition. Can Bolduc replace Romanov or will Mayfield, Pelech, Pullock give them 25 plus minutes? Goals have to be produced off point shots from Dobson-Aho, & they cant be worst team on the powerplay plus allow goals up a man.
I do not know what will happen Belmont is hardly home ice as Canes will practice there while our team hides at Northwell.

Barzal Speaks/Notables

Problem here is if he plays he had two lower body injuries, one for a day or two, now this. He was shifted to wing after Horvat started there. Can he play wing without getting hurt?
As for Carolina they are without their best player, they have two healthy goalies this year, and hit the wall for a long stretch, same as Tampa did after NYI loss there. Now everyone gets a reset, teams who faced no qualifing pressue now have must-win games. Sorokin swept Pens, lost game one to Bruins, and it was Varlamov besides some mop-up work in two cameo's. We'll see.

New York vs Carolina-The rematch

Last time it was 18 shots allowd, goals overturned and an offisides in game where puck was carried by Canes player. You know where I want the games. Leiweke's likely only selling tickets with three year commitments.

x-2022-2023 New York Islanders Qualify For Playoffs....

Not matter what the year, the number to qualify, how it's done, when you make the playoffs in 82 games you should be very happy. No one remembers Vancouver got to the finals two games under five hundred vs New York.
Tomorrow we see if its Carolina or Boston. Tonight Enjoy !!!!

It's Up To You......New York.......NEW YORK........

The magic number for a playoff spot is one. New York has more regulation wins then Pens. That's the tie-breaker, it better be tomorrow or if not the last stand is Pens at Columbus needing any kind of win.
Buffalo can no longer catch New York. Only playoff math for New York that avoids Boston is a win vs Montreal followed by a Panthers loss to Carolina. Florida has clinched a playoff spot. Only formula for New York to finish 7th is a win vs Montreal and Panthers loss in their final game in what would be their first round matchup vs Carolina. There is no scenario for New York to face New Jersey.
This is the game they have found ways to lose all season, the one they recently lost the lead late in Montreal, followed by losing in overtime as Habs speed overwhelmed them. These games all season from 5-4 loss in Columbus (overtime) to loss in Washington, to 6-5 loss to Vancouver (on Beauvillier's goal) in a freak year where final seeds usually needed 15-20 over is available to claim tomorrow.
It's up to you New York......NEW YORK...

New York Losses Playoff Control With No-Show Loss to Caps

Matthew Maggio ATO/Not ELC

He needs an ELC with this prospct pool badly which includes signed Dufour already, an ATO let's him play for Bridgeport only on a tryout.
Wahlstrom, Holmstrom, Dufour, Maggio, Iskhakov, Durandeau, are the forward prospects in the organization, are what they have to work with. Lamoriello's thinking to call them up as late as possible sounds nice but a 22 year old hits Bridgeport out of college, they may not get here until 24-25 with UFA at 27-28, so not a long time to decide.
Prospect site has the updated list. With the pandemic it's hard to know what the new signing deadlines are with some missing a year of hockey or more. The past rules are listed. It's hard to know what the pandemic has done to the signing rules for European draft picks. I would expect a lot of problems with Russian prospects.

Horvat Needs Goals/Not statements about former teams/Updated 4/10:

Horvat was out of line saturday. He was traded a long time ago, and signed a week later, his struggles have been impossible to ignore, despite the excuse of his line mates. His head is in the wrong place if he is still angry about Vancouver where he wanted to stay the rest of his career before the trade here & signing because he was scared to test ufa knowing nothing about New York. If he is still thinking about Vancouver, New York traded for the wrong player & should trade him again before his first year begins under his new deal. Why is that in his head on the ice after a must-win, he was not baited into discussing the Canucks, who do not deserve that.

Win Or Go Home For New York...

I did not expect the New York Islanders to be a contending team in 2022-23. In a normal NHL season of 82 games it would play out like last year where you had to be 18-20 games over five hundred to qualify for a lower seed. That did not happen this year, in a slight repeat of 2002-03 (with ties) where NYI won 6/26 games down the stretch but still got the eighth seed a game over 500 with 83 points.
We know it has not worked offensively, with even Horvat at center not justifying a contract that does not begin until next year, with a 38 year old who got several bounces to inflate his numbers, Hudson Fashing, and an offense that comes down to Brock Nelson, a slight burst from Palmieri already likely over, and Anders Lee who's struggling again, and the identity line back in offensive hiding. Pageau had a rare goal where Engvall, who's been producing gave Pageau a 1/4 pass against Carolina for a very rare Pageau goal.
Not too many are going in off point shots lately which has held them in many games or a bad goal like Darcy Kuemper allowed to even give them any goals vs Caps. (where they play again)
I don't know what's going to happen. No one does. This team has done everything backwards winning against many tops teams, and not scoring/losing vs poor or struggling teams or Sorokin steals most games. To guess what's going to happen with three likely must win games Flyers/Caps/Montreal is likely more then they can do. We know the math (NYI do not control tie-breaker vs Florida/and do vs Pittsburgh.
Bottom line is we'll know soon if it's play Boston/likely Carolina or the season ends.
I don't think the Barzal card will be played for a career center who got hurt twice, the second time playing wing, who had a poor season overall offensively.

Lamoriello Press Conference: