On Tuesday, the New York Islanders held a commanding lead in the third period, only to watch it evaporate in the hands of the San Jose Sharks.
Despite leading 4-1 against the San Jose Sharks, who currently hold the unfortunate title of the Pacific Division bottom dwellers and custody of the NHL’s worst record, the Islanders managed to surrender the lead in the third period.
An almost certain defeat transformed into a glorious victory for the Sharks as Sharks’ forward, William Eklund, scored a 4-4 tie to force the game into overtime.
New York Islanders’ coach, Lane Lambert, expressed his frustration and disbelief over his team’s performance.
“We had that game under control with eight and a half minutes left. To lose that hockey game is a sin”.
Lane Lambert says losing that game was an immoral act considered to be a transgression against divine law #Isles pic.twitter.com/KCWIexax6K
— 𝐈𝐬𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐅𝐢𝐱 (@IslesFix) December 6, 2023
Analyzing the event with Greg Wyshynski, ESPN’s senior NHL writer, the post-match discourse got even more interesting.
Wyshynski humorously commented that “to lose that hockey game” should replace ‘sloth’, laziness and apathy on the list of the ‘seven deadly sins’.
This stated while pinning failure on sloth or laziness seemed quite a stretch, Lambert was visibly upset with his team’s third-period performance;
so much so that he termed the game loss as almost a transgression of morality.
If blowing a three-goal lead in the third period can indeed be considered a sin, then the Islanders are undoubtedly on the express train to the hockey purgatory.
This joke apart, the Islanders have consistently shown third-period struggles, giving the impression that they lose grip and control as the game advances to its later stages.
This recent episode of the Islanders’ defeat has fortified New York’s growing list of sports disappointments.
Positioned at fourth place in the Eastern Conference Metropolitan Division, the Islanders’ meltdown against the Sharks was a brutal reality check of the team’s third-period struggles.
The disaster seems to reiterate that despite having gained an upper hand with their initial lead, they slipped midway in command and lost focus.
