Isles lose to Canucks, 4-1
New York Islanders' Evgeni Nabokov, of Kazakhstan, allows a goal by Vancouver Canucks' Henrik Sedin, of Sweden, not pictured, during the second period. (Nov. 13, 2011) Credit: AP
VANCOUVER -- There isn't much time left to say how early it is in the season for the Islanders, or how they're in every game. The losses are piling up, as they did last season at this time, and the team knows all too well how impossible it is to make up points in the standings once the holidays come around.
Sunday night's 4-1 loss to the Canucks at Rogers Arena had some positives, some bright spots. But the Islanders are 1-6-3 in their last 10 games. They've played fewer games than any other team in the Eastern Conference, but they also have the fewest points (11), the fewest goals (29) and the fewest road wins (zero).
They were outshot 27-12 and badly outplayed for much of the first 40 minutes but still went into the third period trailing by only a goal. Mark Streit tossed a clearing attempt over the glass just 1:07 into the third, however, and Cody Hodgson redirected Aaron Rome's point shot on the ensuing power play to give Vancouver a 3-1 lead.
Roberto Luongo, who was pulled after two periods in his most recent game, maintained the Canucks' lead with a couple of brilliant saves. He faced only 24 shots. Evgeni Nabokov made 32 saves for the Islanders, but he whiffed on catching a weak shot by Henrik Sedin in the opening minute of the second, and that one turned out to be the game-winner.
The Isles trailed by a goal after each of the first two periods, but they went a bit differently.
After the Canucks grabbed a 2-0 lead 34 seconds into the second on Sedin's soft toss from the point that Nabokov couldn't handle, the Islanders' play noticeably dipped. Whether it was the soft goal or the Canucks moving in for the kill, the Islanders again struggled through the second period, getting outshot by a wide margin and not winning any one-on-one battles along the boards to regain control.
But the Islanders' top line fought through the slog and managed to jam in an ugly goal, with Matt Moulson roofing a loose puck from the crease after Michael Grabner and John Tavares had whacks at it.
That goal, with 4:51 left in the second, energized the Islanders, who started to mount a few rushes and play with more confidence to the second-period buzzer. They had some good stretches in the first period as well, but the maddening trend of allowing a goal on the opponent's first shot returned, marking the fourth time in six games that the Isles trailed early.
Rome cruised into the slot as Blake Comeau and Marty Reasoner eyed David Booth rounding the Isles' net. Rome swept a backhand behind Nabokov 1:57 in.
Notes & quotes:D Calvin de Haan will have an MRI exam on his shoulder Monday after taking a big hit and leaving Saturday's Bridgeport Sound Tigers game . . . RW Nino Niederreiter had a goal in each of his last three games with Bridgeport and will join the Islanders on Monday.
More Islanders
