Islanders feeling urgency as Senators visit
The New York Islanders did numerous things right in their ascent to the top of the Metropolitan Division. Recently they have encountered a slight speed bump.
For the first time since Jan. 18, the Islanders are not a first-place team, and they will hope to rebound from two disappointing losses when they host the league-worst Ottawa Senators Tuesday night in Uniondale, N.Y.
New York (37-21-7, 81 points) enters two points behind the Washington Capitals, who handed the Isles a 3-1 loss on Friday. The Islanders followed with an even worse showing in a 4-1 defeat to the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday afternoon.
New York is 1/3 with one contest left on a five-game homestand and is hoping to recover, especially with the division race getting tighter. The Islanders are three points ahead of the Carolina Hurricanes and four in front of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
"I know we had put up a little bit of leeway (in the standings), but that's gone now," New York's Jordan Eberle said. "We have to find a way, and the biggest game is the next one. We need to find that desperation in our game again."
Other than a 6-1 rout of the Toronto Maple Leafs in the return of former captain John Tavares, the last two weeks have not gone well for the Islanders. After going 11-2-2 from Jan. 13 to Feb. 16, New York is 2-4-1 in its last seven games.
On Sunday, the Islanders sustained consecutive regulation losses for the first time since Dec. 4-6 and lost by more than two goals for the first time since Dec. 6 at Pittsburgh.
"I've been in this a long time, and I always say you're gonna have stretches of 10 games when good teams are going to have an 8-1-1 record and then the next 10 you're gonna have to grind through it," Islanders coach Barry Trotz said. "You're gonna go through a 10-game stretch where it isn't easy. You don't get the goaltending, the power play doesn't click, whatever."
The goaltending did not click Sunday, when Robin Lehner was pulled for the first time after allowing three goals in 13 shots.
New York may face Ottawa somewhat short-handed if Casey Cizikas, Cal Clutterbuck and Matt Martin sit out. Martin missed his second straight game with an upper-body injury, Cizikas has been dealing with the flu and Clutterbuck exited in the third period Sunday after getting head on the head with a puck while sitting on the bench.
Ottawa (23-38-5) heads to Long Island with a league-worst 51 points and is 1-1 under interim head coach Marc Crawford, who replaced Guy Boucher after he was fired on Friday. Ottawa halted a seven-game losing streak, all losses coming in regulation, with a 3-2 win at Florida on Sunday.
During its second-longest skid of the season -- which also coincided with trading Mark Stone, Matt Duchene and Ryan Dzingel -- the Senators were outscored 33-13.
On Sunday, Ottawa fell behind in the opening 20 minutes, before Brian Gibbons scored the tying goal and Rudolf Balcers scored the tiebreaking goal in the second period.
"It feels really good for our guys. It's nice to see smiling faces," Crawford said. "Any games we play against teams that are fighting for their playoff lives are always going to be an energetic game."
After producing one of their better showings of late, the Senators will attempt to win consecutive games for the first time since Feb. 7-9 and consecutive road games for the first time since Jan. 9-10.
The Islanders are 4-1 in the last five meetings with Ottawa. In their 6-3 win in Brooklyn on Dec. 28, Mathew Barzal scored twice in the third period.
The two teams meet again on Thursday in Ottawa for the finale of the season series.
--Field Level Media
