Just finished watching the game.
The first period was pretty good aside from the soft goals that were given up. It's a shame Sorokin couldn't get his game together. The first one really pissed me off because I think Barzal and Reilly had an opportunity to block it and just opted not to. The others were just so soft. The defense were reversing the puck and taking their time with breakouts and it was neutralizing Carolina's forecheck. Offensively the defense were very aggressive and were pinching quite low to keep pressure on the puck, and it was working very well. Carolina didn't get many fast breaks that period. The cycle game was strong and the Islanders were working the puck below the goal line, and Lee was doing very well. Not a ton of grade a chances off of it but I think it was causing Carolina some issues and would've led to something.
Then the second period happened. Pretty much everything I liked about the first period went away. It seemed to stem from when Lee (I think) broke his stick and they spent an extended shift in their own end. From then on it was just like the previous games, just tossing the puck up the wall or into the neutral zone and changing. The D to D reverses were gone and the breakouts were terrible. There was a play where I think Pulock was skating the puck up through the neutral zone, he had Pelech in the middle of the ice behind him, and even though he was getting angled off he decided to keep going. He had to panic throw the puck forward, it was a turnover, and Carolina came back the other way. I don't understand the point in those plays and we see them all the time. Just take what's given, give it back to the Pelech and make a controlled entry.
They recovered well in the third period but couldn't generate much and the chances they did have they couldn't capitalize. We've seen this before so I don't think any of us were surprised.
Engvall was the best forward for the Islanders. Palmieri, Lee, and MacLean had strong outings as well. The entire Barzal line was awful again. Pageau? Has anyone seen Pageau? Fasching was worse than Holmstrom and Martin shouldn't be playing, give me anyone else.
Defensively I thought pretty much every did a nice job. Dobson still has his hiccups and Bortuzzo is what he is but nobody was making really egregious decisions with the puck. It's a shame we didn't see this in games one and two.
Go back with Varlamov for game 4 and see if they can eek one out and give some of you who will be there something to cheer for at least.