Penguins Fumble Finale, Fall to Islanders, 5-4
In many ways, last night’s 5-4 season-ending loss to the Islanders was an all-too-fitting microcosm of the 2023-24 campaign. One that began with great hopes and expectations but ultimately ended in disappointment.
Following a sluggish start, our Penguins skated circles around our hosts and were…to my eyes…the much better team. However, staying true to form, we took the lead on two separate occasions but couldn’t sustain them due to defensive gaffes and lapses in judgment that would make a pee-wee team blush.
For good measure, we had a would-be goal overturned (albeit legitimately) and lost a subsequent coach’s challenge that led to an Islanders power-play goal.
In other words, business as usual. Or Penguins hockey, if you prefer.
As I’d mentioned, we somewhat predictably and understandably slogged out of the starting gate and quickly fell behind on a goal by Islanders horse Brock Nelson. By my unofficial count, our hosts racked up a 12-5 edge in shots on goal over the first dozen minutes or so. But Alex Nedeljkovic, looking poised and sharp, kept us in the game with a number of big saves and we gradually took control.