Hapless New York Islanders Conclude Tampa Series
Nov 1, 2016; Brooklyn, NY, USA; New York Islanders center Anders Lee (27) plays the puck in front of Tampa Bay Lightning goalie Ben Bishop (30) during the second period at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

John Tavares and the New York Islanders conclude their Tampa Bay Lightning series on Monday night at the Barclays Center.

  • New York Islanders (5-7-3, 13 pts)
  • Tampa Bay Lightning (8-6-1, 17 pts)
  • NHL, Monday, Nov. 14, 7 p.m. ET, MSG+
  • Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York

After wasting Jaroslav Halak‘s best effort of the season, a hapless and desperate New York Islanders team is hoping for a miracle as they look to face Tampa Bay.

Roster Changes

The Islanders are still stumbling out of the gate, and to make matters worse, Dennis Seidenberg suffered a broken jaw that could sideline him for up to six weeks. This doesn’t help the struggling Islanders who’s only arguable upside this season was the defense.

Moreso, their best defender thus far has been Seidenberg. Seidenberg joins Travis Hamonic and Ryan Pulock on the IR, who are both slated to miss around four to six weeks. The silver lining, however, is that Travis Hamonic will play tonight. Hamonic is about three weeks into his four to six recovery plan but feels good enough to play.

Goaltender Jaroslav Halak will start his sixth straight game tonight. He made 40 saves on 43 shots in the losing effort against the Panthers, with a .930 save percentage.

Call Up

The Islanders recalled Scott Mayfield from the Bridgeport SoundTigers as well and will finally carry the seven defensemen Jack Capuano wanted.

In 12 games for the SoundTigers, Mayfield has a goal and an assist with 16 penalty minutes and is a +4.

Implications

Despite the speculation that the Islanders will make a move regarding Capuano or a trade, nothing has yet to come to fruition (Only adding to the ire of the fanbase). After a winless road trip in Florida where the Isles captured only one point, one would imagine that something has to give.

It’s unclear if they’re showcasing Halak to gauge more trade value on him. The Islanders could also be exhausting Capuano’s every last change before pursuing a change behind the helm. With tensions ever-increasing for the club and fans alike, the deadline is rapidly approaching. This is a lost team that needs to find themselves quickly, or it could cost them their coach, or each other (via trade).

It does not have to be said that the players understand exactly what’s at stake. Statistically speaking, if a team is out of the playoff race come Thanksgiving, then they probably will not earn a spot. If this team suffers another dissection by Tampa tonight, and a move is not made by the end of this week, it’s safe to say they can kiss goodbye to the post-season.

Although teams like the Ducks and the Senators have managed to go on tears, the odds were stacked against the. Heavily.

This desperate Islander team must pull out every single burst of energy they have tonight and moving forward. While the Islanders sit at 25th overall, their arch-rivals are running away with the division and the league lead (led in goals by former Islander Michael Grabner. Just to salt that wound).

Grew up a diehard Islanders and Mets fan based out of Northern New Jersey. Concluding my Broadcast Communications degree at William Paterson University. WP Sportsdesk member, Stan Fischler correspondent, music buff and total Star Wars freak. Follow my social media handles to learn more. Matt Di Giacomo is a Staff Writer for the Islanders on Elite Sports NY. He encourages team discussion. Tweet him @mdigiacESNY and check out his reviews on YouTube.