After controlling most of this game and jumping out to a 2-0 lead, the Islanders let it all slip away and then were subjected to some questionable-at-best officiating, ultimately losing in overtime 4-3.
First, the good.
John Tavares got things started early on with his 20th goal of the season 1:54 into the game. Josh Bailey also scored his second shorthanded goal in a week to make it 2-0. PA Parenteau also scored to pull the Isles even after the Maple Leafs took a late lead. The offense was much more responsive in this game than last night, and Al Montoya made only 17 saves but kept his team in it for as long as he could in his first game since Dec. 20. He even tried to make a glove save in OT that would have made highlight reels everywhere... if it hadn't gone over the line.
Then, the bad.
The Isles ended up coughing up a 2-0 lead thanks to some very shoddy defensive work. Mark Streit and Milan Jurcina were each a -2, and Mark Eaton was miraculously a 0, despite some breakdowns of his own. Ultimately, though, Jurcina has to be called out for tonight's performance; he was out of position on the Leafs' first goal by Clarke MacArthur and then was caught cross-checking a Leaf in front of Montoya, giving a perfect screen for the second goal by Jake Gardiner (the first of his NHL career).
Now, the ugly.
The goal that gave the Leafs a 3-2 lead? A whiff. Up in the air, over Montoya's shoulder and in. You cannot get any luckier or flukier than that, and while I'm sure Leafs fans loved it, everyone on my Twitter timeline was going, "WTF?" because that's exactly what it induced.
There was quite a bit of nastiness in this game too, which led to some physicality and a lot of cheapshots, many of which escaped the refs' notice on behalf of Toronto. Seriously, though, how do you miss a high stick? It's called a high stick because it's, well, high. Hockey sticks are pretty long things, you know; it's hard to miss one waving in the air parallel to the ice when it should be on it blade-first, but that might just be my hazy judgment. Tavares, Andrew MacDonald and Matt Martin, among other Isles, were the recipients of such shots, and the refs conveniently managed to turn a blind eye to every call. Talk about lousy "luck." Doug Weight certainly had something to say about it as he left the ice once the game was over (and can I just say, I adore his tirades... glad to know there's someone behind the bench with some passion in him).
All in all, the frustration was palpable, and certainly visible on the face of many an Islander as they made their way back to the dressing rooms; in fact, Travis Hamonic was seen smashing his stick on his way through the tunnel. I can't blame him. You don't go out on the ice and put up that kind of effort only to lose your way and then stand helpless as the officiating stinks up the place. But that's how it's been all season, it seems, for any game. The calls just aren't there, and they should be. At the very least, the Islanders were able to salvage a point... but it's never enough.
Until next time, which will be next Tuesday against Carolina due to the All-Star Break. Let's go, JT!
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