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They are 2-0 in the second round against the Hurricanes with Raleigh's next two games, but that may not be the Islanders' main problem after Sunday's 2-1 loss to Brooklyn.
Even though the only way for the Islanders to get out of this hole is to first recognize that their job during the first two matches was not enough before committing to improving the team. Attention to detail as early as Wednesday's third game, the team seemed to believe that he had played well enough. deserve a different result.
"They got a goal on a very good shot that I should have stopped and then they had a tip," said Robin Lehner, beaten twice less than 48 seconds after the first 1:05 of the third period by the circle of the left circle of Warren Foegele and that of Nino Niederreiter. bypass in the open air. "We are not in the excuse, but in reality we were the best team."
Be careful: scoring a goal in 124: 04 of the series is not enough.
Warning: Putting the puck a total of 27 times, and 17 times in 33:33 against backup goalkeeper Curtis McElhinney after replacing injured coach Petr Mrazek, is not good enough either.
Attention: The best team will be the one that will advance, not the one that may have had the benefit or not of aesthetics or analysis.
Lehner's opinion was not unique in the room. Sometimes the players say what they think and other times, what they think is appropriate The frustration of the Islanders was understandable after abandoning the kind of tight low game on which they had dined all year long, but it is essential that the team recognize that the regular season has ended as far as the first-round sweep against Pittsburgh.
Islanders need more. They need more zone time below the hash marks to be able to play their game on the ground. They need more production from everyone. Their only goal in the series, Mat Barzal on the power play at 13:17 of the first period to give the team a 1-0 lead, was scored when lead defender # 13 for Josh Bailey was inadvertently deflected of the defender. Jaccob Slavin.
Otherwise, nothing better against McElhinney, the 35-year-old who made three playoff appearances in relief during a 12-year career in which the Candy Canes are his seventh team. There were a few cross bars and a close test that hit the outside of the right post after the Islanders fired Lehner for the extra striker, but a minimum of sustained pressure for the second consecutive game.
"I think we played a very good game," said Anders Lee with enough precision. "We now have a few days to regroup and recover our energy."
After ten days of rest between the rounds, many athletes lost the Islanders morale before Friday's 1-0 overtime loss, but the Canes did not have a picnic. After match 1, Carolina will be beaten. Defender Trevor Van Riemsdyk left for a left shoulder injury after being trailed on the wall by Cal Clutterbuck 26 seconds into the match – but the Islanders have not been able to take advantage of the Canes "Physical distress.
"There is a bit of frustration but you can not let yourself be won by the best of you," said Matt Martin, who was beaten at close range from McElhinney's right foot step at 9:44 of the second. "We must be at our best now."
The Islanders will dance with those who played ball. They will not start playing risk-reward hockey, although if there is a team with which the Islanders should not worry about spoiling themselves, the Canes are. Nevertheless, islanders will play with the identity that they created under Barry Trotz.
"We have to stay the course," Martin told The Post. "Our system and style was enough to get us 103 points and beat the Pittsburgh Penguins. So I do not think we're going to start moving away from that because we lost two games.
"We have to send more pucks to the net. Hope we will bury our chances. This will give us more confidence around the net. "
So it's on Carolina, down two for the Islanders, decent up to now but not good enough. The dashboard does not lie.
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