The Islanders already play on a Garden-owned network and in a Rangers-run market. On Thursday, they might as well have ceded their sparkling new $1.1 billion arena to the Rangers, too.
When the 6-3 embarrassment of a loss met its end to cheers from the road crowd, the best thing you could say about the Islanders was that in seven more days, this will all be over.
That’s five more games, 15 more periods and 300 more minutes of hockey. It can’t come soon enough. It can’t get worse than it did Thursday night at UBS Arena.
So often this season — through COVID-19 outbreaks and injuries and losses — that statement has felt like a challenge for this team. But after this loss, it would be nearly impossible for things to fall further.
“Some guys cheated the game,” Islanders coach Barry Trotz said. “Plain and simple.”
The Islanders have made a lot of noise recently about playing for pride, and until Thursday, they had at least managed to do that. Then there was the sight of Artemi Panarin setting up Andrew Copp not once, not twice, but three times for a first-period hat trick, all on plays that started with No. 10.
Then there was Chris Kreider, completely unguarded in front of the net putting in a rebound goal on the power play during the second period, and then the seas parted for Ryan Strome to make it 5-1 before the final 20 minutes had even started.
Trotz said that one line in particular — presumably referring to Mathew Barzal’s — was ripped apart, with goals against happening when players went outside the system.
“We have certain protocols in our own zone,” Trotz said. “There’s certain things you have to do. That’s why it’s a system. And if you’re not gonna play the systematic way, then you put everybody else in jeopardy.”
A year ago, with the playoffs on the horizon, the Islanders were the team doing this to the Rangers. On Thursday, it was their own season from hell hitting a crescendo, their own building sounding like MSG East, their own system breaking down.
“Look, we take pride in playing good, hard hockey,” Anders Lee said. “So that’s what we’re gonna do the rest of the way. I wouldn’t expect anything less than that.”
For seven more days, they’ll have to try.
Anthony Beauvillier missed the game with an upper-body injury and was described as day-to-day. Trotz said he didn’t know whether Beauvillier would be available on Saturday against the Sabres.
Jean-Gabriel Pageau missed the game after being added to COVID-19 protocols, as did associate coach Lane Lambert and assistant coach Jim Hiller.