It was a game that the Islanders really should’ve won, but the Islanders couldn’t find the back of the net on their golden opportunities and beat the Blue Jackets.
What Went Wrong
The Isles played well in the first 10 minutes or so of the first period.  They scored the first goal thanks to a beautiful set-up from Mat Barzal to Anders Lee.  After that, the Blue Jackets took control of the remainder of the period.  The Isles couldn’t keep possession of the puck for a long period of time, nor could they get the puck from the Blue Jackets.  Defense wasn’t really an issue for the Isles, it was offense: a problem that always seems to haunt the Isles.

Game Summary
Anders Lee opened the scoring for the Isles to cap off a beautiful play from Mat Barzal.  The Isles got out of the period with a 1-0 lead.  The second period consisted of three goals, two from the Blue Jackets and one from the Isles.  Kevin Stenlund had the Blue Jackets first goal and then three minutes later Nathan Gerbe gave the Blue Jackets the lead.  Mat Barzal evened the score just five minutes later.  The score was deadlocked at two for a majority of the third period until the Blue Jackets scored off of a friendly bounce with just three and a half minutes to go.  That would end up being the game winner as the Islanders fell to the Blue Jackets 3-2.

What’s Next
The next game for the Isles is Friday, Dec. 27 in Chicago as they start up a three game road trip. Robin Lehner will be suiting up on the other side against his old team. After the holiday break, the Islanders need to re-find their identity and work on the little things. They need to work on boxing out men in front of the net, shooting the puck more and locking down their defensive system. If they can do that, the team of October and November can re-emerge.

Game Stats
CBJ 3-NYI 2
Shots: CBJ 35-NYI 37
Faceoff %: CBJ 55.8-NYI 44.2
Power Play: CBJ 1/2-NYI 0/2
Next Game of the Month
January 16th, 2020
NY Rangers vs NY Islanders
Game of the Month Record
0-2-1