Isles' Sloppy Play Ends Five-Game Point Streak at UBS Arena
The Wild scored on their first shot, and the Islanders struggled throughout the game, falling 5-2 on Friday night. It was a frustrating night as the Islanders failed to connect passes and turned the puck over repeatedly, being outworked by the Wild, who capitalized on the Islanders' defensive mistakes and sloppy execution.
"I don’t think we executed well at all," said captain Anders Lee. "I think we were clearly off from the get-go. When we struggle to break the puck out and we struggle with our turnovers, it’s going to be a long night."
The Islanders concluded their 1-1-1 homestand with this defeat, snapping a five-game point streak at UBS Arena. Despite 21 saves from goalie David Rittich, the team dropped to a 6-6-2 record. They face the Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Saturday to start a seven-game road trip.
Forward Bo Horvat noted the team's lack of effort:
"I think they beat us to a lot. I think they outworked us a lot tonight. We’ve got to correct that come [Saturday]."Horvat assisted Emil Heineman’s goal, which briefly brought the Islanders within 2-1 in the second period at 4:38.
Any hope from Heineman’s goal was quickly erased when defenseman Brock Faber scored just over a minute later with a shot that slipped past Rittich.
"I guess you’ve got nights like this," said coach Patrick Roy. "You have nights where you’re on and there’s nights where you’re not on."
The Islanders look to rebound quickly in their upcoming game against the Rangers.
Author's summary: The Islanders' poor execution and turnovers led to a 5-2 loss against the Wild, ending their home point streak and highlighting the need for a quick turnaround on their road trip.