Another slow start for Islanders

LOS ANGELES — Slow starts have plagued the Islanders. It happened again in Saturday night’s 5-2 loss to the Kings at Crypto.com Arena.

"The first period, they came out flying," Anders Lee said. "We were ready to go, we just didn’t execute. We didn’t play to the level that they came out with."

The Islanders allowed the first goal for the 12th time in 15 games after reversing that trend in each of the first two games of this five-game road trip.

Another issue has been allowing goals at the end of periods. Brendan Lemieux's goal that put the Kings ahead 4-1 with 28.3 seconds left in the second period was a crusher.

"Some of the things that have plagued this year," coach Barry Trotz said. "There’s no excuse. We know how important the first period is in terms of our record. I wish I had an explanation for you but I don’t.

"That goal at the end of the period, that sort of took us out of the game totally."

Goal for goals

Brock Nelson had a four-game goal streak snapped but still has a team-leading 19 goals in 39 games. His career high is 26 goals and he is on pace to be a 30-goal scorer for the first time.

"That’d be pretty cool," he said. "You set individual goals. I won’t say what I’ve set, but I think it gives you something to strive for. If you do that, you help your team win."

Nelson: We're still focused

Given the Islanders’ fading playoff chances, it seems inevitable that president and general manager Lou Lamoriello will be a seller, not a buyer, heading into the NHL trade deadline on March 21.

That would be an opposite course from Lamoriello’s first three seasons running the organization, each of which resulted in a playoff berth. Not that the players have noticed a difference just yet.

"I don’t think it’s any different," Nelson said before Saturday night’s game. "All the guys come to the rink with the same attitude. We’re all part of the team here right now and trying to win here. A lot of speculation with the media, social media, but everybody here has a good mindset just coming to the rink to work hard and take it day by day."

Still, impending unrestricted free agents Cal Clutterbuck, Zach Parise, Zdeno Chara and Andy Greene — at the minimum — are likely to be shopped.

Isles files

Defenseman Noah Dobson had his first two-assist game of the season . . . The Islanders wore their home blue sweaters as the Kings showcased their alternate third jerseys, a white throwback to their 1990s design . . . Josh Bailey, long a fixture among the Islanders' top-six forwards, was a healthy scratch for the second straight game. His previous healthy scratch was in 2015.

By Andrew Gross

andrew.gross@newsday.comAGrossNewsday

Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.