If this was last season and the Pittsburgh Penguins scored a 3-2 overtime win against the Islanders at the Barclays Center, you would just shrug and say, “Oh well.”
But those days are long past and now, after the Islanders slow start, every loss is magnified, as the club searches for answers in what is quickly becoming a loss season.
And frankly, fans are looking for something and during this morning’s skate, they hoped general manager Garth Snow would give them something.
However, it wasn’t the message they were looking for as coach Jack Capuano got a vote of confidence.
“Jack, the coaching staff, our players, I have a lot of confidence in everyone in that room,” Snow said. “Although it doesn’t always feel easy for our fans, when you go through adversity, it’s a great challenge and I always look forward to see who rises to that challenge.”
So those looking for blood need to wait and right now, maybe you just want to see some effort out there. After getting downright smacked by teams like the Lightning, playing the Pens tough was definitely a step in the right direction for the 5-8-4 Isles.
And after a first period, where the Pens took an early 1-0 lead, the Isles came alive with two quick goals to start the second from Brock Nelson and Anthony Beauvillier.
That burst of offensive was enough for the win starved Barclays Center crowd to come alive. There were no calls for Capuano’s head and they seemed as lively as their team on the ice.
“There’s no moral victories in this game, but it’s a tough opponent, and we played well,” Capuano said. “We took a good team to overtime, but we mismanaged the puck and any time you do that against Pittsburgh, that’s what’s going to happen.”
Kris Letang’s tally at 1:24 into overtime gave Pittsburgh the win, which many felt was in the bag going into this matchup. Give them credit, the Isles played hard against the defending Stanley Cup Champions, but it just wasn’t enough.
That’s the story for the Isles so far this year. No matter what they do, it’s just not enough. They can get smacked and they had their share of soul crushing defeats, but very few highlights.
Time is ticking, even a month into the season, because the longer they go, the harder it will be to turn it around.
And Snow will probably be pretty true to his word and keep Capuano for the rest of the season, then both their fates will be in the hands of new owner Jon Ledecky.
Right now, the Isles need to play the cards they are dealt and frankly, it looks like there just aren’t enough aces to go around in Brooklyn.
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