Islanders’ Defensive Woes Lead to Challenging Defeat Against Jets on the Road

WINNIPEG, Manitoba — For the second time in just three days, the Islanders found themselves engaged in a game reminiscent of pond hockey.

This time, however, the setting was an NHL arena, and the outcome didn’t offer the same heartwarming sentiment.

The highlight of the night was rookie sensation Matthew Schaefer’s comeback after being briefly sidelined. Following a first-period trip to the dressing room, triggered by a concussion spotter’s alert, Schaefer’s swift return lends credence to the idea that this was just one of many games in an 82-game season.

Fortunately, Schaefer was only absent for 12 minutes and 22 seconds, averting any major crisis. If the rookie had been sidelined for an extended period, it would have been a significant concern for the Islanders’ season. Instead, they are left to reflect on a messy 5-4 defeat to the Jets.

Despite being just one game in the long haul, Tuesday night at the Canada Life Centre was far from the Islanders’ finest performance.

They were too wide open, not hard enough around the net and boxed out of both creases in the decisive moments by a Winnipeg club that had won just two of its past 10 coming into the night.

When the Islanders have struggled this year, those reasons have usually been the common denominator. If Mathieu Darche opts to buy between now and the trade deadline, there’s his roadmap for what to look for, but on Tuesday night, there was no help coming.

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After going down 3-0 in the second, it looked like the Islanders might work their way out of the mess. Anthony Duclair, Emil Heineman and Kyle MacLean scored consecutive goals to tie the game at 3-3 in a span of 3:58, Heineman doing so via penalty shot, and on another night, that momentum might have vaulted the Islanders into two points.

On this one, not so.

Just as quickly as the Islanders grabbed momentum, they lost it again. Dylan DeMelo’s shot from the top of the zone went through Nino Niederreiter’s screen to put Winnipeg back up just 1:02 after MacLean had tied it.

Then Adam Lowry boxed out Tony DeAngelo in the crease to tip in Neal Pionk’s shot with 20 seconds to go in the second to make it 5-3 going into the last intermission.

In the last 20 minutes, the Islanders did tighten things up defensively far more than the free-flowing first 40. Unable to get any meaningful traffic around Connor Hellebuyck’s crease, though, their attempt at a push fell flat.

Schaefer’s shot from the top of the zone made it 5-4 with 45 seconds left in regulation, but proved too little and too late.

Truth be told, this was as sloppy a game as the Islanders had played all season. They bled 2-on-1s, transitioned the puck poorly and most of all, gave more traffic than the George Washington Bridge at rush hour.

Mathew Barzal was beaten to Mark Scheifele’s rebound by Kyle Connor for the game’s opening goal. All Josh Morrissey had to do on Winnipeg’s second goal was float it through the mess of bodies with Adam Boqvist screening his own netminder after the Islanders failed to transition the puck. And on Jonathan Toews’ 3-0 power-play goal, no one was near him at the crease.

Aside from a few spurts, one of which brought a flurry of goals with it, there was little sustained offense. The Islanders breakouts were uncharacteristically poor; their forecheck was there at points but not consistent enough.

It’s a good thing Schaefer was OK. Otherwise this would have been, bar none, the worst night of the season.