One word just said it all.  Mistakes, wasted opportunities, horrible assignments, and most of all, a horrible penalty kill, that had been quite brilliant before the last two games.

Maybe THIS road trip will get the team back on the page.  The team was as lost as Daffy Duck at Disney World.

Did anyone look good?  Well - a spurt or two here and there.  Yash was swarmed every time he touched the puck, Blake could not find open seams;  Hunter was hitting, but nothing else.  Satan was looking for heaven as opposed to finding shots.

And don’t get me started on the defense…..

Is it just me, or did Colin Campbell put on an edict to the referees on too many men on the ice penalties…  5 called in the last 2 games at the Coliseum.  I saw a number of them on TV as well…  Maybe they are catching up to the teams that cheat on the line changes to get an advantage.  Wish they were on the ball in the 1993 playoffs against the Habs when there were 9 on the ice when they changed lines and scored the game winning goal in overtime.

NO STARS TONIGHT

GOLD STAR AWARD - (I am stretching) - The only goal that the Isles scored was with under a minute remaining, so Dave and Buster’s will give ticket holders that show their stub, a $10.00 play card.  That is cool…

TIN TWIT AWARD - finicky fans.  One day, they are applauding and singing praises for Alexei Yashin, whose game has finally surfaced from the abyss under the tutelage of Ted Nolan.  Then last night, as much as he was trying (and I KNOW he was), the fans get on him.  He fires an errant pass, and people are saying… “that defines your Islander career right there?”  Let me ask you something in Section 316…

Do you even watch what is happening???

Alexei Yashin has been know as more of a set up guy, not necessarily a sniper.  Do you remember the pass he fed Blake with in NJ?  That is what Alexei is.  You try to have 600lbs hanging on YOUR back, and try to feed your teammate the puck!  Remember, statistically, passing is only 50% completed.  Which means, half the time, it doesn’t.  There is no perfection in him, although there must be a distinct mathematical formula saying otherwise with these ding-dong’s!

Understand something… These guys DO try.  Even the guys that are getting ridiculed (sometimes a little too much) about vision problems (and you KNOW who you ARE!!!).  We all knew that this team was going to struggle a little; have some difficult moments.  This is one of them.  Also, I know that you guys pay for your tickets and you have the RIGHT to say what you want to say.  No one, including me, will take that away.  But there are lot of other people around here, that will try to stay positive and have thoughts that this team will right itself and move forward.  Take a Nitro-Glycerin pill, drink an herbal tea, and take a freaking CHILL PILL!

Well - we play the worst team in the league on Thursday, Philly.  Wow, I can’t believe I just said that…  Well, anyway, with the luck we have, I hope that Philly does NOT have their best game of the season against us.  We have to forget last night, and come out with the solid, simple, posession game that got us a 4-1-1-1 record on the home stand before these two losses.  As Larry the Cable guy says, “Get ‘er DONE!”