New York Islanders: A Very Backward Week for This Young Team

The New York Islanders have played four games in the last week, and have done the opposite of expected in all four. This past week has been as backwards as can be for the Islanders, who went 1-2-1 in the stretch.

The Islanders started off the week with a shootout loss to the NHL leading Vancouver Canucks. The Islanders played amazing throughout, and just were a few minutes away from handing the Canucks their first regulation loss in almost a month.

The Islanders then lost to the Senators, allowing six goals to the second worst offense in the NHL. The Islanders did manage to score four goals themselves, but were down 6-2 at one point and made Ottawa look like the far superior team.

The Islanders then welcomed the streaking Buffalo Sabres, and the Islanders went to work on the Sabres, dominating them in every aspect of the game and came away with the win 5-3. Rick DiPietro returned and was strong in the net.

The Islanders ended out this homestand week with a visit from the New Jersey Devils, the worst team in the NHL. In a game that the Islanders should have and could have won, they instead came away with a loss, 5-2.

With the Islanders being such a young team, these growing pains are something that will come along with the team. The Islanders showed strokes of brilliance against the Canucks and the Sabres, and then displayed some growing pains against New Jersey and Ottawa. Fans will need to get used to this inconsistency in play, and look more to the future, when this teams great potential could grow to a Stanley Cup contender.

This post originally appears on TheLonelyIslanders.com.

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