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sports Saturday 30 January 2021

Islanders lament ‘wasted’ week going into series at Flyers

By STEPHEN WHYNO cy level. I think there’s an
AP Hockey Writer urgency level right through
WASHINGTON (AP) — In the whole division because
a five-day span, the New the whole division is ultra
York Islanders got shut out competitive. There’s not
by a third-string goalie, al- much difference between
lowed a go-ahead goal in the top teams and the bot-
the final minute and blew a tom teams, and so it is go-
three-goal lead. ing to be the grind. Let’s
Three games, three regula- embrace the grind, the
tion losses and zero points battle and stay in the fight.”
to show for it. The Islanders came out
Instead of approaching fighting. After going to the
first place in the East, the Eastern Conference final
Islanders go into a week- in the NHL’s playoff bub-
end series at Philadelphia ble last summer, they won
not far from the bottom of three of their first four this
the division. After a “wast- season, and a blowout loss
ed” 0-2 trip to Washington, to the rival Rangers looked
coach Barry Trotz’s team is like a blip. There were plen-
trying to pull itself together. ty of reasons to believe this
“Our confidence a little team could put together
bit has been rattled,” Trotz another deep run. Semyon
said Thursday night. “This is Washington Capitals defenseman Brenden Dillon (4) shoves New York Islanders left wing Anders Varlamov led all goal-
a punch in the mouth and Lee (27) during the third period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Jan. 28, 2021, in Washington. tenders with a 0.33 goals-
an upper cut to the jaw Associated Press against average and .988
and you’ve just got to pick It’s worse in the context of son, three games without a There’s no excuse for that, save percentage in a 3-0
yourself up off the floor be- the previous two. New Jer- point isn’t reason to panic. and we’ve got to right the start before losing twice to
cause no one else is going sey’s Scott Wedgewood But with the schedule short- ship right away and we’ve Washington, which drafted
to do it.” blanked the Islanders on ened to 56 games and all got a great chance to finish him in the first round in 2006.
The latest blow might be Sunday night, and then the play inside the division, this road trip with a couple But little of this is on Var-
the hardest to swallow be- they thought they’d at it was a costly five days. games in Philly.” lamov, so the Islanders
cause the Islanders were least be headed to over- Lee pointed out that New The Flyers won two in a row have to figure out how to
in command up 3-0 on the time against Washington York lost its final seven against the same Devils fix what’s wrong with them
Capitals before everything on Tuesday night before games last season before that beat the Islanders on before it’s too late.
fell apart. It was over after Justin Schultz scored with the pandemic put hockey Sunday. They’re in third “Everyone wants to pile
four goals against in 5:09, 26.4 seconds left. on pause until August. Al- place, the Islanders are in on right now,” Trotz said.
and the final score of 6-3 “You go through ups and most that entire team is seventh and as general “Sometimes when you think
was ugly. downs through the sea- back and will try to draw manager Lou Lamoriello’s it gets the darkest, that’s
“We had a pretty bad son,” defenseman Scott from that experience. longtime friend Yogi Berra when you’re closets to
lapse,” captain Anders Lee Mayfield said. “This one “We’ve had tough stretch- said, it’s getting late early. breaking out of it. So that’s
said. “It turns into a bad seems pretty low.” es,” Lee said. “It’s a tough “We can’t look back,” Trotz what we’re going to hold
loss.” During an 82-game sea- time to have a bad start. said. “But there is an urgen- onto right now.”q

MLS sets new negotiation deadline, warns of possible lockout

By ANNE M. PETERSON League Soccer Players As- promotes ongoing invest-
AP Sports Writer sociation submitted a pro- ment,” the league said.
Major League Soccer has posal just hours ahead of MLS has said it lost nearly
extended its deadline for the original deadline. The $1 billion last season, due in
negotiating adjustments to union proposed extending part to the pandemic as it
the existing collective bar- the current collective bar- played in mostly empty sta-
gaining agreement until gaining agreement with diums and with increased
Feb. 4 and warned it is pre- the league through the costs for testing and char-
pared to lock out players 2026 season. ter flights. The league said
if a deal isn’t reached by The league’s proposal in- it expects similar losses this
then. cludes paying players their year.
“Given the impact of CO- full salaries in 2021 in ex- The league invoked a force
VID-19 on how clubs will change for an extension majeure clause last month
need to operate during through the 2027 season. to reopen negotiations
preseason, we must final- “In our discussions with the over the CBA, citing ongo-
ize an agreement in the MLSPA, we have empha- ing uncertainty because of Sporting Kansas City defender Amadou Dia (13) attempts to
coming days in order to sized the importance of the the COVID-19 crisis. maneuver past the defense of Orlando City midfielder Sebas
provide teams and players two-year extension to al- The league’s new season is Mendez (8) during an MLS soccer game in Kansas City, in this
adequate time to prepare low the league and clubs set to open April 3 with pre- Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2020, file photo. Associated Press
for the opening of training to recover a portion of the season training camps al-
camps,” the league said in losses incurred in 2021 as lowed to begin on Feb. 22. MLSPA said in a statement. February before the start of
a statement Friday. a result of the pandemic The union has said it hopes “Players are ready to play.” the season and a second in
The league set the new while protecting the long- to avoid a lockout. The league and the union June when players took a
deadline of 11:59 p.m. term health of the League “It is our sincere hope that had two difficult nego- pay cut in order to resume
EST, Feb. 4 after the Major by providing stability which it can be avoided,” the tiations last year — one in the 2020 season.q