You are probably right. Despite everything against them last night the other issue was Sorokin. Don't get me wrong I think he is a great goaltender and the Isles best player. You cannot let in that goal from that angle midway thru the 3rd P when your offensively challenged team fights back from a 2-0 deficit to take a 3-2 lead. He will need to bring his "A" game the rest of the way or this series will be over quick.
If I recall correctly, the Canes had a 2-0 lead on the Rangers last year and looked a whole lot better taking that lead than they do this year. I’m not declaring the Isles win simply because the Rangers turned it around, but if the Isles, and particularly Sorokin, simply play up to their own abilities there is no reason this won’t be a 2-2 series heading back to Carolina.
The no doubt about it slash that injured Teraveinan was in the 3rd period not on overtime. It is a penalty for player safety, it is hard to even argue that the play was accidental.
Must win tonight and I think we will. Lost 2 close games with Sorokin not playing well in game 2 along with shit refs. I think they come out and hit everything in sight. Team is pissed and the Canes are banged up. I also expect (hope) Sorokin rebounds and brings his A game tonight. Let's Go Islanders. Make this 2-1 by 9:30 - 10:00 tonight.
Hard fought win tonight but they could have and should have sealed it way sooner. Yet another shorthanded goal allowed...
The Isles' four goals in 2:18 were the fastest four goals in Stanley Cup playoff history, breaking a record set by the Canadiens against the Maple Leafs in 1944 by 17 seconds.
Canes are showing they aren’t comfortable being the team getting hit not doing the hitting. If the Isles can continue to be the more physical team but stay out of the box they will be fine.
I believe the announcers said the Canes are prepared for Barzal to skate it into the offensive zone during penalty kill. They literally had him boxed in when he turned the puck over, you would think that he would dump it or make a quick pass when 4 penalty killers are surrounding you.
This series sums up the team — can look decent enough to give you hope but ultimately aren’t talented enough.
This is why them winning that game against Montreal was never enough to save Lamoriello's job - the difference in talent level of these two teams is gigantic.
Lou tried but all he did was saddle this team with another bad contract in Horvat for the next GM to have to navigate the same way he had to navigate the bad contracts he inherited. And without a significant change in the roster we have to move on from Lambert because there is no reason to believe he can coach this roster of players any better going forward so a different strategy is all that can be attempted to get something out of the roster if this is what the team is going to be. but in the end, rather than trading away players like Mayfield and Varly for picks and trying to get younger and faster immediately and start a rebuild with Barzal and Dobson, the unfortunate reality is this team is facing a gradual decline with this roster in which the players of value like Barzal and Dobson will be traded away within 3-4 years as the team just toils in mediocrity.
The only thing I would wonder about is the gradual decline - I think the only elite player they have on the team is Sorokin (we have to accept that Barzal is never going to turn into the player the team hoped he would be), and his performance in these playoffs hasn't been too encouraging, either. They have some other good players like Pelech, but this team is going nowhere without a complete rebuild.
