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Isles fall to the Preds 3-2 and Metro Podcast

October 12, 2013, 10:45 PM ET [228 Comments]
Dan Petriw
New York Islanders Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
The Islanders come up short for the second straight night falling by the same score again as the Predators bested the Isles 3-2. While the Islanders are only 5 games in on a very young season there is some concerning issues that are developing with this team.

The defense wasn't horrible tonight and for the most part Evgeni Nabokov played well. However the last two goals that the Predators scored were certainly goals that Nabby would want back. Another underlying problem is the inability of the dman to create break out passes which can spark a rush and create possession and scoring chances.

The lack of puck possession is an issue that the Islanders must solve as the problem is also noticeable amongst the forward groups. The bottom six forwards are not creating enough scoring chances. They haven't been awful in their own end however they aren't creating chances in the attacking zones.

Matt Moulson isn't working on any line right now and I'm not sure what is the best way to get him going. While Kyle Okposo hasn't been amazing he is at least creating some chances and is noticeable on the ice. I honestly don't know what the solution is with Moulson. If he isn't scoring he is tough to find on the ice.

Some things did work tonight; I do like the fact that Islanders Head Coach Jack Capuano tweaked his lines halfway through the second. It worked and gave the team some lift. I also thought defenseman Matt Carkner played a solid game. It will be interesting to see if he stays in the lineup and Matt Donovan takes the place of Brian Strait or Thomas Hickey.

The Islanders have some work to be done but the good news is they have been in every game. This will be an important four game home stand starting this week as they are facing beatable opponents. Once again tonight was a very frustrating result but there isn't need to panic yet. However their are some underlying issues that are becoming apparent and they need to be addressed in order for this team to continue to move forward.

Listen to Metro Buzz(with Flyers blogger Bill Meltzer, Rangers blogger Jan Levine and Islanders blogger Dan Petriw) Recorded 10/13/13

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