The Islanders got a look at their future yesterday, which they can only hope will distract them from their present.
Josh Bailey made his NHL debut yesterday, but the Isles found themselves with an all-too-familiar result.
That’s what happens when a team fails to capitalize on eight power plays and then gives up a shorthanded goal.
“When you go 0-for-whatever on the power play and give up a goal, it’s on the power play, on us,” said Doug Weight after the Isles dropped their third straight, a 3-1 decision to the Flyers at Nassau Coliseum.
To make matters worse, the Isles had two 5-on-3 opportunities, one for 2:00 and generated almost no offense. They managed just one shot on the full 5-on-3 and that came with one second to go.
The failure with the man and two-man advantage nullified an otherwise solid effort by the Islanders and their most recent first-round pick.
Bailey skated well as the game went on, but took a pair of penalties, one 17:20 into the third period, with the team trying to erase a 2-1 deficit.
“You can’t take offensive zone penalties, and I took two,” said Bailey, the ninth overall selection of this year’s draft. “I’ve got to play desperate and work my way onto the team.”
Bailey also got 3:01 of ice time on the power play.
“It looked like he belonged,” Scott Gordon said. “He certainly didn’t do anything to say that he can’t play here.”
Under NHL rules, the 19-year-old is allowed to play nine games before the year counts against his contract, so the Isles will have to make a decision whether to keep him up or send him to Bridgeport. In the meantime, he impressed at least one of his veteran teammates.
“Every day, he turns people’s heads,” Weight said. “He’s got great savvy for the game and he’ll show what he can do, hopefully sooner rather than later.”
The Isles fell behind 2-0 midway through the third and got back into the match with Trent Hunter’s goal 16:20 into the period. Kimmo Timonen’s empty-netter with four seconds to go ended any suspense.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman was on hand yesterday and reiterated his support of a new arena for the Isles.
“I don’t have to come out here to be reminded that they need a new building,” Bettman said. “I think it will happen.”
Team owner Charles Wang still needs to get approvals and financing for the long-awaited project to begin.
When asked if the Isles would be candidates to be moved should a new arena not be completed, Bettman said: “I don’t want to have that conversation. Long Island is a great hockey hotbed. This team has great history and tradition here. To suggest [a move] is not a place I want to go. Nobody’s thinking about that. All we’re thinking about is how we can get an arena as quickly as possible.”
Mike Comrie missed the game with hip inflammation.