Jaroslav Halak's teammates tapped their gloves to his helmet as the Islanders started toward their locker room with heads hanging low Monday night.
New York skated off the Barclays Center ice with one point when it needed two, suffering a painful loss that featured the same issues the team has been plagued with nearly all season. The Isles lost their one-goal lead with 43 seconds left in regulation and lost in overtime, 5-4, to the Predators.
For the eighth time this season, Halak faced 40 or more shots. In Thomas Greiss' last two games, he faced 50 or more.
As goaltenders on a team that has the most goals against (196) and shots against per game (35.6), Halak and Greiss have one of the toughest jobs in the NHL.
Jaroslav Halak has faced 43 shots tonight. He has faced 37 or more in 14 of his past 17 starts. He should ask for a raise.
— Dan Rosen (@drosennhl) February 6, 2018
The asterisk for the Islanders is that they are an incredible offensive team. Their 178 goals on the season ranks them second to only Tampa Bay and they stand at third in goals per game with 3.30.
Such is the conundrum of the Islanders.
New York's offensive heat is too often cooled down by their turnover blight, which is the main reason they're scrambling to stay in playoff contention.
Head coach Doug Weight's frustration is visible and justified. In typical fashion, he didn't hold any punches after the Preds loss.
"They have to look at themselves," Weight said. "They had 37 shots after two periods. How many were from the blue line that hit Jaro right in the stomach?"
"All they did for two periods is get it in our zone. Unless they had an odd man rush, they didn't take it over the red line and they go to work. And we screw around, dink passes around the blue line and it's volumes of shots from them."
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Up until the final minute, the third period showed flashes of the Islanders' potential. The defense held Nashville to six shots, and though New York countered with only seven of their own, it was a different Isles team on the ice during in the third.
"We played the way we were supposed to play," Weight said of the last period. "I couldn't care less about the stats, it's how we play. If they want to play like that on Thursday we'll win."
Mounting frustration about New York's results versus their potential is becoming more potent as the significant of each game grows. Facing a playoff-contending team in the Preds revealed the quintessential strengths and weaknesses of the Isles that will make or break them in the postseason.
The team needs to go beyond acknowledging the necessary adjustments and make them on the ice.
The Islanders' offense could be lethal if their turnovers are reduced but above all, New York can't expect Halak and Greiss to continue taking such a high volume of shots every game while retaining effectiveness.
The team knows it's unsustainable.
"We've gotta do a better job in front of him," said center Casey Cizikas. "We've gotta realize just how good of a team we are and we've gotta keep putting our best foot forward."