"Look, leads in the NHL are more precarious than they've been in a long time, possibly ever. Blown leads are trending upwards league-wide. But the Islanders have looked like they expect to blow any third-period lead they might have, and then they overthink, causing mistakes. It has been like a self-fulfilling prophecy."
"That OT goal was a huge relief. You could see it on their faces. During the second intermission, Barzal spoke with ESPN+'s Steve Levy, who asked Barzal why the Islanders have been blowing so many third-period leads and what they were going to do to prevent it again (they didn't, of course). Barzal, normally confident and self-assured in front of a camera, stumbled over his words and struggled to find an answer that wasn't some version of 'I don't know.' He looked befuddled, almost shaken; you could see it in his eyes and hear it in his voice."
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