Islanders squander momentum to Flyers with season and era in real danger of falling apart

This is what it looks like when the season slips away in January. A disastrous second period, a total squandering of momentum, a team that played most of the night as though nobody was on the same page and a home crowd that sounded more disappointed than upset. Forget the season.This might be what it looks like to watch an entire era of a franchise come to an end. Just a week ago, Lou Lamoriello was putting an optimistic spin on his team’s playoff chances.

Now, after Thursday’s 5-3 defeat at home to the Flyers, the Islanders are nine points back of the last playoff spot in the East and just two points up on the last-place Sabres. Technically, there still is a chance — nobody gets mathematically eliminated after 44 games, after all — but does this look like a playoff team to you? Right now, it more closely resembles a situation in which keeping the core intact at the trade deadline will be simply untenable, barring a complete 180 over the coming weeks.The Islanders have hoped against hope that this group still could contend for a Stanley Cup, but now they are closer to being a threat to win the draft lottery than a championship.

Like it or not, that is an objective fact. After dropping the opening game of this homestand Tuesday — a loss that caused coach Patrick Roy to question his team’s hunger — the Islanders came out with some initiative Thursday and appeared to grab ahold of the game early when Max Tsyplakov laid out Ryan Poehling with a hard-but-legal hit that helped lead to the team’s first power-play goal in over a month.  Sign up for Inside the Islanders by Ethan Sears, a weekly Sports+ exclusive.Please provide a valid email address.

By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.Enjoy this Post Sports+ exclusive newsletter! Not only did they hand the initiative back during a flaming wreck of a second period, but the Islanders’ hunger look...