Islanders hit historic rock bottom in embarrassing loss to Sabres
Yesterday at 12:17 AM
In a matchup between the cellar dwellers of both Eastern Conference divisions, the New York Islanders lost by a shocking total Monday evening. The Buffalo Sabres came to UBS Arena and ended their 13-game losing streak with a resounding 7-1 beatdown of the home team. This win set a yet another NHL record, one that unfortunately puts the Islanders on the losers’ side of history in this regard.
“The Islanders are the first team in NHL history to lose by 6+ goals at home to a team on a 13+ game winless streak,” posted sports statistics page OptaSTATS on X, formerly Twitter.
With a record of 13-15-7, the Islanders certainly aren’t the worst cellar-dwelling team in the league. In fact, they are the best record-wise among the last-place teams. Monday night’s loss was shocking in the fact in how resounding it was. The Sabres had not come this close to winning a game since their 3-2 loss at home against the New York Rangers on December 11th. Tonight, they were clearly the superior team. Due to the inconsistent nature of the team, and their current position, should general manager Lou Lamoriello and head coach Patrick Roy start thinking about a potential rebuild?
Islanders’ tough season continues with historic loss to Sabres
Roy, a Hall of Fame goaltender who played for the Montreal Canadiens and Colorado Avalanche, took over as head coach in January. After Lane Lambert was fired as head coach by Lamoriello, Roy helped guide the team to a postseason berth. They lost in the wild card round to the Carolina Hurricanes, but they brought back most of the team who made it to the dance last season. That’s why this season’s inconsistency is so maddening.
The Islanders are only five points from the last wild card spot and possess a lot of talent. Going on a run over the next few weeks, while unlikely, is possible due to said talent. Roy and his staff just need to get the best out of them. Winning more than two games at a time would be a great start. Stars like goalie Ilya Sorokin, centers Bo Harvat and Brock Nelson, as well as captain Anders Lee, form the core of a team that is closer to a Stanley Cup than some believe. Will they band together to play winning hockey? If they can put tonight behind them and win against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday, then that will be a start.
The post Islanders hit historic rock bottom in embarrassing loss to Sabres appeared first on ClutchPoints.
