The goaltending was suspect at times, their defensive structure broke down at crucial moments and passing the puck out of their own zone seemed too tough a task for the first half of the game.
Yet the Islanders nearly overcame these shortcomings in their home opener before losing 4-3 to the Predators before a crowd of 12,163 at Barclays Center on Saturday night.
So, glass half full? Or half empty?
That the Islanders, who host the Sharks on Monday afternoon in Brooklyn before starting a four-game Western Conference swing next Saturday at Nashville, were within striking distance of the Predators was a testament to their physicality, their compete level over the final two periods and 1 for 4 power play, which generated nine shots.