DENVER — If the year ended with a bang for the Islanders, it was only the noise from doors being slammed inside the visitors room at the Pepsi Center.
The Isles were out-everythinged on New Year’s Eve, dropping a 6-1 decision to the Avalanche that featured Doug Weight being ejected late in the second period for cursing out veteran referees Steve Kozari and Chris Rooney.
The game was long lost before then, however, as the Isles fell behind by a goal after an acceptable first period and then fell apart in the second, allowing 36 shot attempts, 23 on Jaroslav Halak and four goals.