Islanders looked riddled by same-old problems in ‘fking bad’ loss to Wild

SAINT PAUL, Minn. Forty-three games into the season, the Islanders still have a whole lot of the same problems they did back in October: a penalty kill and defensive zone that isnt good enough; an overworked No. 1 goaltender; a lack of physicality; a team that, up and down the lineup, is not anywhere nearly consistent enough to play to its potential on a nightly basis.

After putting together one of their worst efforts of the season and losing 5-0 to the Wild on Monday night, all those problems are continuing to snowball in 2024.

The Islanders are 2-5-2 since Dec. 31, out of a playoff spot and now need to win on the second end of a back-to-back for the first time all year to avoid going below .500 on this road trip through the Central Division.

We were fking bad, Cal Clutterbuck said.

That about sums it up.

Islanders_looked_riddled_by_same_old_problems_in_fking_bad_loss_to_Wild 4a Wild defenseman Zach Bogosian (24) and left wing Matt Boldy (12) react to a penalty on New York Islanders left wing Anders Lee (27) during the first period on Monday. USA TODAY Sports via Reuters ConThe Isles are only a point out of a wild-card spot, so it is not as if the season is on the brink.

But this is as bad as things have felt since a seven-game losing streak in mid-November led to coach Lane Lambert being asked about his job status, not just because of the recent results but because of how they have come.

The lack of pushback and level of disinterest on Monday was jarring.

The Islanders let Minnesota live in their offensive zone, particularly in a shambolic second period where they were outshot 21-3 over 20 minutes.

Islanders_looked_riddled_by_same_old_problems_in_fking_bad_loss_to_Wild 4Wild center Joel Eriksson Ek (14) celebrates his goal with teammates during the second period against the New York Islanders on Monday. USA TODAY Sports via Reuters ConI just didnt like our effort at all, Lambert said. I didnt think we were 100 percent committed to playing the game the right way, right from the start. It just kinda snowballed as we went along.

On the ice from Long Island

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Check out more newslettersAfter a gut-punch of a loss on Saturday in Nashville, it was the exact opposite of what the Isles needed an effort that reflected poorly on everyone who had a hand in it.

Its not who we are, Scott Mayfield told The Post. Its not how we want to play. It wasnt good.

A middle period in which the Islanders played lifeless hockey ultimately did them in.

Connor Dewar extended Minnesotas lead to 2-0 just 2:18 into the second after Sebastian Aho turned the puck over from behind his own net, allowing Dewar to skate into the slot and get a shot off unimpeded.

Joel Eriksson Ek then made it 3-0 on the power play after Bo Horvats delay of game penalty, deflecting in Kirill Kaprizovs feed to the crease with little resistance.

We got outworked and we got out-competed, Lambert said.

The Islanders waved the proverbial white flag by pulling Ilya Sorokin for the final 20 minutes presumably to rest him in advance of a back-to-back on Tuesday in Winnipeg and giving Ken Appleby his first NHL action since January 2018.

Islanders_looked_riddled_by_same_old_problems_in_fking_bad_loss_to_Wild 4Frederick Gaudreau #89 handles the puck as his teammate Brock Faber #7 of the Minnesota Wild collides with Simon Holmstrom #10 of the Islanders during their game on Monday. NHLI via Getty ImagesThen a pair of late Minnesota goals one of them shorthanded put an exclamation mark on the embarrassment.

The downward spiral started just minutes into the night, when Mats Zuccarello took advantage of an early Anders Lee penalty the first of five the Isles would take to give the Wild a lead within three minutes of puck drop..

Just didnt think we were very clean, Nelson said. Things kinda snowballed from there. We didnt really get to a grind game or generate much possession and get through the neutral zone and into the offensive zone, really, until the last little bit there. Wasnt a well-played game by us.

All year, the Islanders have dealt with injuries and suffered gut-punch loss after gut-punch loss.

Islanders_looked_riddled_by_same_old_problems_in_fking_bad_loss_to_Wild 4Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin (30) makes a save in front of Minnesota Wild center Marco Rossi (23) during the second period. USA TODAY Sports via Reuters ConFor the most part, they have rolled with it and bounced back when needed, hanging around the playoff race as a result.

But on Monday, the pain of Alexandre Carriers game-winner with 7.9 seconds left in Saturdays loss to the Predators looked as though it had yet to wear off. Ditto for the wear and tear of the last month, over which the injury situation has taken one step back for each step forward.

We were just awful, Clutterbuck said. We were just bad.

Its a tough spot, no one can argue that. But the Islanders need points and sympathy wont get them any.

Back in November, the Islanders ultimately bounced back off that losing streak to put together their best four-week stretch of the season and vault right back into playoff contention.

A similar turnaround would do them wonders right now.

If efforts like Monday are going to be the norm, though, they might as well take their ball and go home.

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