Barry Trotz let out a bit of a laugh when asked about the Islanders’ propensity to start games off in the wrong way.
“If I did [know the reason], I’d be selling it to every team in the league,” the Islanders’ head coach said. “I think our mindset’s there. We’re ready to play.”
Ready as they may feel, the Islanders have now given up the first goal in 11 of their last 12 games following Sunday’s 3-2 shootout loss to the Canadiens. And it’s come back to bite them — during that stretch, they’re 4-7-1.
“It’s obviously harder when you dig yourself a hole and have to try and generate and manufacture offense,” Brock Nelson said. “Teams are up, teams can climb up and down a little bit more.”
Though the Islanders did manage to tie the score twice on Sunday before falling in a shootout, they played from behind for most of the game. Since scoring isn’t their forte, that forces them into an uncomfortable spot — a fact evident given the frequently poor puck management and decision-making against Montreal.
Trotz wants them to play a straight-line game, putting pucks on net and creating off the forecheck, with chances coming from tight spaces. Instead, for stretches on Sunday, the Islanders seemed to look to do the opposite, moving the puck laterally and on the cycle, but failing to generate much from it.
“I thought at times today, we got a little too cute,” Trotz said. “The analytics of it, the only thing that’s good is puck possession. Doesn’t create a scoring chance, doesn’t do anything for us.”
The Islanders can’t seem to pinpoint a specific reason for their issues, but they continue to deal with their consequences. Following Sunday’s loss to the league-worst Canadiens, it will take nothing short of a miracle for them to be anywhere but a golf course this May.
“It’s not like we just go into it and see how it goes,” Kyle Palmieri said of the slow starts. “It’s something that we try to get to our game right away, and we actually had some decent shifts to start. One ended up finding its way in our net early. That’s a little deflating.”
A feeling with which the Islanders have gotten all too familiar of late.
The Islanders FaceTimed former teammate Leo Komarov, who won gold as a member of Finland’s national team, on Sunday morning.
“Leo is an intangible,” Trotz said. “He’s a glue guy. A lot of analytic people don’t understand what Leo Komarov does.”
Anthony Beauvillier’s shootout goal was just the second the Islanders have scored all year in the format. The other came from Oliver Wahlstrom in a nine-round shootout victory against the Flyers in January.
Wahlstrom (upper body) was out on Sunday.
Josh Bailey returned to the lineup following a one-game absence, notching an assist in 16:36 of ice time.