The only thing more frustrating last night than the officials’ bizarre, conflicting interpretations of broken sticks was the Islanders’ maddening cough-up of a 2-0 third-period lead in the eventual overtime loss.
After the referees started randomly calling penalties in the second, there was an aggravating sequence where Simon Holmstrom was called for “slashing” when he reached for the puck and a Wing broke his own stick on the attempted shot, followed by J-G Pageau’s stick — while already shorthanded — breaking in similar fashion, with no equalizing or make-up call.
But Casey Cizikas delivered a Classic Cizikas moment on the PK, forcing a turnover, leading up the left wing, and then turning on the jets from the neutral zone in to pot the game’s first goal past Ville Husso.