The islanders spent three games before Friday and looked like a group that had just seen their best friends being traded.
That was no longer the case at home against Edmonton.
Instead, they looked like a group that had just seen the best scorers traded.
The strength that was lacking at least at the beginning of the week has returned very much.
However, in other words, there was no place to find the cause of this 2-1 overtime defeat.
From Friday onwards, it's three goals in their past 183:53 hockey, a mark on alert at any point in the season, especially now.
Against the more talented Oilers team – but the island has been playing tough regularly over the past few seasons, but the ice has leaned towards an extra period where the night before the winner 3:52 in Leon Draysightle's game is pulsating.
“We want to get more goals, and there's no doubt about that,” coach Patrick Roy said after saying the islanders have technically scored five goals in the last three times, including two who were overturned in Los Angeles. “I thought we had a chance. I have faith in our group and I believe that in the end the pack will come in. That's who I am, that's what I believe. When you do good things, good things happen.”
Nominally, at least there's a playoff race here. The islanders also won the ground even if they lost by going to the OT on Friday.
It includes seven home games on Friday, so this is the islanders (the stretch that the islanders now have to take advantage of, four points behind).
What's less clear is whether they can do it.
This one island didn't have many Grade A appearances. For each natural statistical trick, there are five Heidanger chances in the game, but often helped to highlight the club's lack of natural scorers.
In the second early stages, Nary can be seen ahead, like a 4-4 rushing with Alexander Romanoff and Tony DeAnguero.
Or the strange guy later in the period when Bo Horvatt gave Scott Mayfield, rushes just to get the puck out and then gets a penalty in a short period.
Meanwhile, Leon Drysightle's second 8:46 slap shot cannon boom was enough for the Oilers to take the third 1-0 lead, with Sorokin looking unflapping his wings, saving a series of islander errors early in the night.
The islanders tied it to 1:21 third, and Horvat removed the puck from Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and kept it himself to tie the game together 1-1.
It caused a highly focused third period, end-to-end, when both teams traded opportunities.
Also, it wasn't enough to get them on the line.
It took time to settle, the islanders' first three hockey since February 1st, with Dry Saitoll scoring a rush with 49 goals and 100 points of the season.
“He sees the target and shoots here,” Sorokin said of the Heart Trophy frontrunner. “His shots are very fast so it's difficult. He doesn't have any big moves. He has short movements, short shots. It's a very difficult shot. [to stop]. ”
It follows a desperate shift at their own end, with Sorokin's gloves savings giving the islanders a reprieve after Simon Holmstrom's stick broke, and after Adam Perek shots from the foot, it looked evil.
Add to the list of moments when the islanders weren't finishing their punches. Along with that, a list of reasons to worry.
“As it progressed, we thought we could have done it. [gain momentum] Certainly, Perek kneaded his feet and said, but he seemed to be fine in the dressing room after the match. “They're a handful. They're a good team. Those two are [Draisaitl and Connor McDavid] I think there was probably a bit of time and space. It's not an easy job, but I think it takes a little too long in the zone along with the pack. ”
For at least for now, the islanders are still in this race.
To stay there, you need to start scoring.
