A game like last night does not really inspire the kind of confidence that, as fans, we would hope to have on the way to the playoffs. Between curious lineup decisions and disjointed play, nothing seems to be going right at the moment for the New York Islanders.
Their top scorer has struggled mightily and the response from Barry Trotz seems to have been to saddle him with fourth-liners. The team acquired a top-line player and the coach has been reluctant to play him on the top line. The fourth line itself has been showing its age and the wear-and-tear of years of banging bodies, lacking the effectiveness for which they are usually known.