The New York Islanders failed to show they cared this holiday season in an embarrassing 7-1 loss to the Buffalo Sabres. They were blown out by a team that had lost its last 13 games and just showed zero intensity throughout the game. We have our key takeaways from the game and our hero and goat of the game although it’s tough to find a hero.
Plus, we break down what changes need to be made to get this organization out of the muddy middle and back on the right track and it starts at the top.
All this and more on today’s Locked On Islanders Podcast with Gil Martin.
Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!
PrizePicksDownload the app or go to https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/LOCKEDONNHL to get $50 instantly after you play your first $5 lineup.
GametimeDownload the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONNHL for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Download Gametime today. What time is it? Gametime.
FanDuelYou can start the season with a big return on FanDuel. New customers can place a FIVE DOLLAR bet and you’ll get started with TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS in BONUS BETS – if you win your first FIVE DOLLAR BET ! Visit FANDUEL.COM to get started.
FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)
Follow & Subscribe on all Podcast platforms…
🎧 https://link.chtbl.com/LOIslanders?sid=YouTube
Locked On NHL League-Wide: Every Team, Fantasy, Prospects & More
🎧 https://linktr.ee/LockedOnNHL
And follow the show and Gil Martin on Twitter where he’ll share the latest news on your New York Islanders and will talk with fans like you.
On Twitter: https://twitter.com/LockedOnIsles
and https://twitter.com/icewarsnyrvsnyi
#Islanders #NYIslanders #NHL
25 Comments
It's 7:00 AM
Where is Bauer??
Rumor has it that Roy will pull the goalie to START the next game….
Who knows
Hey, maybe Roy isn’t really that good of a coach? How do you not rest the Sorokin?
Good 🌄 Gil. How are you? Before I begin, let me say MERRY 🎄. Now, last 🌙, THEY DESERVED EVERYTHING THEY GOT, from Buffalo, and the fans, too. 23:08 23:08
The only bright spot was when they showed support for Robin Leiner, who is going thru a hard ⏲️. They made the Sabres look like the long ago days when they had the French Connection Line. I know they got the heat from Patrick Roy. What was he thinking pulling Ilya Sorokin with 5 minutes left. It's not only unacceptable, BUT IT'S UNFORGIVABLE, TOO. I said it before, and I'll say it again, the Islanders are playing like they're in a bad ⏲️ warp, meaning 1972. Hero, Kyle Palmieri and Anthony DuClair for teaming up the only goal. 🐐 COMMUNITY EFFORT ALL THE WAY AROUND. THEY NEED TO MAKE SOME SERIOUS CHANGES, BUT I HAVE A FEELING THAT IT WILL ❄️ IN JULY WHEN LOU LAMORIELLO DOES ANYTHING ABOUT IT. They've only got 1 player under 25 years old. HAPPY 🎂, JIM DOWD. Hear from you later, Gil, once again, before I go, I 👀 The Night Before 🎄 Eve 1978, when Trots made sure the dreaded Rangers got plenty of coal in their stockings. When he was interviewed about this during the 50th anniversary season, Dave Maloney came up to him and said, "If he scored one more point, we're ⛸️ our cans off tomorrow. So, Trots worked their last nerve and did just that, and Maloney went ballistic. Again, MERRY🎄, and LET'S GO ISLANDERS.
Merry Christmas sez Patrick Roy! To all isles fans!!!! I thought I've seen it all before. But apparently……….
Good morning team! Just wanted to take this opportunity to wish you all a very Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Happy Kwanzaa!
I'm much too happy about the holidays to think about what the Islanders did last night. I could be mistaken here. Was it a 13 game winless streak for Buffalo? Even if it was anything close to that, our poor playing team, made them look like contenders. Embarrassing is the only thing that comes to mind. Need to regroup and play better. So many mistakes, that shouldn't happen at this level, unless your opponent is out hustling you. That's exactly what Buffalo did. Forget the other five goals scored, Buffalo's PP beat our Isles 2-1. Okay, time to get back into holiday spirit mode.
Everyone, have a great day and a wonderful, and safe holiday! Let's talk again on the next one. See you all again Thursday. Until then.. Let's Go Islanders!!
A game like that is exactly why I cannot EVER believe in this group of players…..total rebuild needed
we go from our best game of the season to our worst 48 hours later. wtf
They know how hard they have to work to win and they won’t do it. I think they don’t want to bother to fight for that last playoff spot because they aren’t going anywhere. Roy should quit. Why waste time? At least George is getting experience. Most sports need emotion to play and they had none and Buffalo was desperate. The Devs ran the Rangers out of the bldg. The Pens wom. The Rangers will make big moves and Lou won’t. I don’t know what the owners need to see to rebuild. Oh and Buffalo blocked 30 shots and the Isles did not have the creativity to make plays except for Duc
hey I missed the game was it good? lol…just kidding…I watched…terrible..happy holidays Gil. hopefully we are now sellers at deadline.. hopefully they dont spend this offseason prioritizing re signing nelson or overpaying Dobson , hopefully they deal all pieces at deadline that they can and finally begin a hybrid rebuild (full not possible bc too many unmovable contracts…hopefully organization moves on from Lou….hopeffuly Maclean is gone, hopefully varly is gone at the deadline for a nice first round if they can find interested buyer like Edmonton….sadly, none of this will happen. happy holidays, merry Christmas, thank you Gil
one more post script…why on earth did ws sign hog berg if cant use in this spot…why on earth not start against buffalo,…why on earth at least not bring out in third , or sit Sorokin who is coming off back surgery and has most starts in nil since thanksgiving…of to start the third…or at 6-1. or 7-1… I mean roy left him out there…we gonna ruin this kid physically and mentally… also thought tsyplakov was ok Gil…
Imagine trying to trot out Sorokin for ELEVEN straight starts after starting FIFTEEN straight last year and causing back surgery. You take a Ferrari and run it into the ground because you don't have enough brains to throw the No. 3 guy out there for a couple of starts. Lou is an OLD FART HASBEEN!
All I’m saying about this game is… when I was at a game awhile back an usher at the spotlight sections kept saying to me, “these players just play the game to get a paycheck, not for the glory” happy holidays Gil
Last night made me wish they had moved to Quebec instead of Brooklyn 😂
Happy Holidays to all. It’s refreshing and frankly really sad to hear an always positive Gil at his wits end with this squad. It feels like it’s time to break up the band. I love them both but Palmeiri and Nelson have to be traded. Cizikas seems like he’s hit the age wall. And the MacLeans have to go. John has done zip with PP for years now and Kyle is a try hard without much natural ability. Sorokin deserves better than this group.
Happy Holidays Gil to you and your family. The Islanders took the night off and knowing this group that is EXACTLY what I expected them to do, it is now up to the fans and they know how to force changes….stay away. Scott Malkin, and I do not include Jon Ledecky because he does not appear to be involved in the day to day operations of this franchise, needs a clear and simple message, that the Islanders need a reorganization and they need it right now! As a season ticket holder, I am willing to no-show for how ever long it takes, until such time as I see that the message has been understood. That it has come to this is, frankly, Pathetic, but this is where we find ourselves as fans.
I told you Gil fools gold this team has to be dismantled, hey Lou please retire
The only good thing about this season THE RANGERS
Sounded like Buffalo's arena with all the booing going on!
Happy holiday Gil. I've been an Islander fan since 1973/74. I've seen a lot of good and bad … seldom could I say that the team just didn't care. Last night's performance disgusted me top to bottom. I suspected last night's performance was on offer after the Leaf's game. With ownership MIA and a GM who is incompetent, it's time for Isles fans to make their feelings known with their wallets. This team has no belief in themselves and no fear of consequences for their play. Just disgraceful.
Two perfect examples of, one team too young, one team too old. Need a mix of both to be successful in the NHL
Total No Show! Jekyll & Hyde team! LGI
Team has been terrible for a long time. Power play inept for years. Coaches should be let go BUT they are not playing on the ice. The players are. Lou has signed players with extended contracts that should never have been signed. Leadership. Good group of guys. Playing for each other. I see zero heart on the ice. In a blow out an embarrassment no player does anything to wake up the team? To show the fans you care? The real issue is this is happening more times than it isn’t. Lou does nada. The coach is telling us the good things? This isn’t the Roy who would crack his stick over the boards. When mediocrity is acceptable you know what – you get mediocrity. It’s time to send a message to the fans and the players. Nelson and palmeri need to be traded. Can continue this and sign 2 mid 30 year old guys to long term deals. Need youth,skill and speed. Fashing, Engvall, JG, Mayfield and either Pelch or Puloch adios. Is this a stanley cup team? NO. Is this even a playoff team? NO. By the way LEE as Captain. That should be given up. He’s the C. He doesn’t close the door in the locker room last night and start screaming after the first and second ???????????????? He doesn’t say this is the last game before the break. We are getting blown out. This is an embarrassment to our families, kids fans ! Pull the C. At this point do anything
I believe the islanders played their very best game but just ran into a juggernaut. It's very challenging to face the Buffalo Sabre s as they are a always prepared.
I think everyone should take Casey Cizikas advice from last year when fans were chanting “Fire Lambert!!” and Casey told fans during an interview: “Stay home if you don’t like what you see” At the end of the day it’s on the players on the ice to perform and on Management to fix the issues if the players on the ice aren’t performing. It’s a country club atmosphere from the top down and no one cares what the fans think. It’s very unfortunate but that’s the way it is. The only way for fans to be heard is to stop going to the games. Like you said Gil, everything is overpriced and people spend their hard earned money to watch a team with no effort, no heart, no care. Save your money because if the players don’t care about the fans then why should the fans show up and spend their money to support an effortless, careless team and that includes management and ownership.
I saw the best save Ilya has made this entire season when he was leaning left and torqued his body, to make a glorious save with his right pad! Because we were puck-chasing in our zone all night, the Buffalo player was wide open for the rebound and they scored their 4th goal and that’s on the skaters, not Sorokin, man what a save! His team hung him out to dry. I am a bit upset that Roy sent him back out for the 3rd period. Roy should know with his experience that the game was over after the 4th goal was scored and Sorokin didn’t stand a chance! Sorokin should have never seen the ice in the third period! I’m not as annoyed as some fans. Playing a team on a 13-game losing streak is NOT the team you want to play! Not with the skill players Buffalo has, that’s for sure. The turnovers in our D-zone started immediately. I wouldn’t even watch the game if I were a player, these type of games happens to every team at least once a year and yes, the really good teams like Toronto, Oilers, and Kings lose to teams like Chicago, Detroit etc. This loss doesn’t bother me in the slightest. The only thing I’m EXTREMELY angry about is was putting our Rockstar goalie on the ice in the 3rd period to get you humiliated, was a horrible decision by Patrick Roy! This is a guy who got pissed off when Montreal left him in for 6 goals, he should know better!