Islanders Look to Regain Composure As Calendar Flips to December

The Habs strike again.
It was a difficult weekend for the New York Islanders, who took two on the chin in a home-and-home series with the Montreal Canadiens. Credit left winger Taylor Beck for taking a game-deciding penalty Sunday night that led to the Islanders sixth loss in their last 10 games. And while fans continue to scream for Jack Capuano’s head, several must-win games close out a rather difficult November for the team.
The Isles set to welcome the Philadelphia Flyers and Colorado Avalanche at Barclays Center over the next week with a trip to Florida to take on the Panthers and Lightning wedged in between. Islanders tickets on Ticketmaster are still available in the majority of sections for both home games, and the pair of games are among the cheapest remaining games in Brooklyn this season.
Wednesday’s game with the struggling Flyers should be the kind of pick-me-up game the Islanders so desperately need, but much of that will be dictated by how the team responds after the Canadiens’ season sweep. Jaroslav Halak was virtually non-existent in net during Friday’s game and was quickly chased for backup Thomas Greiss, who also started Sunday’s affair at Bell Centre. Despite a relatively strong effort Sunday, there will be cause for alarm if frustration carries into the mid-week game against a Flyers team trying to stay clear of the cellar of the Metropolitan division.
A trip to Sunrise, Florida is on the agenda for a Friday night game with the Panthers.  At 8-8-4 the Panthers fall in the lower half of the Atlantic and have gone just 3-4-3 over their last 10. It will be the first of three meetings between the two teams during the regular season. The Islanders lost two of three to the Panthers last season, splitting losses between New York and Florida. Saturday’s contest with the defending Eastern Conference champion Lightning will be no easy feat, though the Lightning have experienced a similarly slow start at just 10-9-3.
Sharing the title of the NHL’s worst team with the Edmonton Oilers are the Colorado Avalanche, who stumble into Brooklyn next Monday. The Avs have gone 7-12-1 over their first 20 games and are 19 points behind the Atlantic-leading Dallas Stars. The Islanders will need to capitalize if they hope of remaining relevant in the ever-competitive Metro.
If planning on attending an upcoming game, ParkWhiz.com offers the best deals on parking around the venue. Barclays Center parking on ParkWhiz.com starts at just $7 for many Islanders home games this season.