Islanders aren't down on themselves despite being on the skids

The Islanders do not have history on their side. Three-game winless streaks have turned into four-game winless streaks -- or more -- eight times in the last two 82-game seasons.

But these Islanders, who bring a three-game losing streak into tonight's game with the NHL-leading Ducks, say history means nothing.

"It's just not an option for this team right now," Kyle Okposo said. "We're not the same team we've been. We're not fragile."

The Islanders do not have numbers on their side. They've allowed more than three goals a game each of the past two 82-game seasons and had a penalty kill among the 10 worst teams in the league. Right now, the Islanders have allowed 3.54 goals a game, second-worst in the NHL, and have the league's worst penalty kill, succeeding just 64.7 percent of the time.

But these Islanders say the numbers mean nothing.

"The numbers don't mean [expletive] right now to us," Jack Capuano said after practice at the Honda Center. "Our D-zone coverage is night and day compared to last year. Night and day. It's not even close when you look at the video."

Capuano and his players both feel like the Islanders played one of the best games of their young season in San Jose on Saturday, a game that was 1-1 until the 11:50 mark of the third period. Logan Couture's sharp-angle deflection off a harmless-looking point shot was the difference between the Isles leaving San Jose with a point or two after a strong effort, or their third straight loss that feels heavier than it really was, given recent Islanders seasons.

"A guy makes a 1-in-500 deflection," Okposo said. "It doesn't take away how we played in what I think is the toughest place to play in the league."

Still, the Islanders have had just one game of their 11 this season in which they've allowed fewer than three goals. They're not alone, especially in the tight quarters of the Metropolitan Division; only the Penguins (2.2 goals-against per game coming into last night) and Capitals (2.82) have allowed fewer than three goals per game so far.

"The conferences are different, the divisions are different," Nick Leddy said. "Obviously you don't want to be giving up goals. But I think we've been pretty strong in our own end."

It hasn't just been the penalty kill either, though the Islanders have allowed four power-play goals in their last seven times short. They've gone 0-for-9 on the power play the last two games, including 0-for-4 with the game tied or within a goal.

"We can all do better, from the goaltender on out," Capuano said. "Yes, the numbers could be better, but we played pretty well the last three games. It's been puck management that's hurt us, and from some key guys on our team."

Notes & quotes: The Ducks placed G John Gibson (groin) on injured reserve and their other regular goaltender, Frederik Andersen, is listed as day-to-day. AHL goalies Igor Bobkov and Jason LaBarbera also practiced for Anaheim, which had to use its goaltending coach, former Islander Dwayne Roloson, as its emergency backup against the Avs in Denver on Sunday.