The Super Bowl is over and the Patriots have won. There are leftover chicken wings in the fridge and as usual, I didn’t win anything. (We were so close to winning $300, then the Patriots pulled a rabbit out of a hat. Damn it) Can we all go back to concentrating on hockey now? Good.
So the Islanders dropped their last two games: A 5-2 loss to the Bruins and a 4-1 loss to Detroit. Let’s try not to panic. No one believed they would win all 82 games in the season, so losses must be expected. Certainly the one in Detroit stung since it was their first loss there in 11 years (Thank you Eric Hornick for that information), and the loss to Boston broke the Isles 4 game home ice winning streak. It’s still a boatload better than last season’s home record, so let’s just relax.
Perhaps the loss to the Red Wings resonates more because it was once again Chad Johnson in net. I feel for this guy. He finally gets the nod from Capuano and the team implodes. But is it really all Johnson’s fault? I don’t think so. He really isn’t that bad. Certainly his confidence is shot, but the losses he has posted have not been all his fault.
Special teams are key, and it’s a key the Islanders can’t seem to find.
JT said they have to be more assertive and in synch with their power play, and that would help, but also staying out the box would. Sadly, sometimes that can’t be helped when the officiating seems as inconsistent and arbitrary as ever. It was their third game in a week, as JT mentioned, it was a day game, and weather must have given them some travel concerns. Mentally, they weren’t prepared.
Lubomir Visnovsky made his return and hit the score sheet. He was the only one. Tavares’s point streak ended Saturday as well. Casey Cizikas played even though he had been in a walking boot that day and poor Colin McDonald came really close to getting back in the line-up. Johnny Boychuk got hit with a puck on the bench and was also taken into the boards hard and for a few scary seconds, I thought we lost him.
Okay, Johnson’s record isn’t great, but I don’t think it’s time to throw in the towel on him. And certainly not for Nabokov whom the Lightning put on waivers to send to their AHL team. From all reports of those closer to the team than I have been able to be this season, there won’t be any roster moves at the deadline. Certainly there may be some depth moves if they come along, but we won’t be seeing any surprises ending up in an Isles sweater.
Hopefully today Capuano and Company will be practicing nothing but special team scenarios. He should include five on three situations as well and Johnson should be the one facing them. He is better than his numbers. The team in front of him just has to play up to their potential as well.
And they can.
New York Islanders Blogger • 
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