Islanders use four-goal second period to win fifth straight game
New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin (30) makes a save against St. Louis Blues' Vladimir Tarasenko (91) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Nov. 3, 2022, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Le) Credit: AP/Jeff Le
ST. LOUIS — There was a certain predictability to the Islanders’ latest win — and the Blues’ latest loss.
The Blues came out skating hard after coach Craig Berube and general manager Doug Armstrong took them to task for their poor play. The Islanders weathered the push for the most part and, buoyed, followed with a four-goal second period.
It wound up a 5-2 victory for the Islanders — with two potential goals overturned for the Blues — on Thursday night at Enterprise Center as they extended their winning streak to five games.
They can sweep this three-game Midwest swing against the Red Wings on Saturday afternoon.
“We weathered a storm,” Islanders coach Lane Lambert said. “Our goaltender played really well for us. We came out in the second period and we had a real good start. I did like our resolve.”
Ilya Sorokin made 32 saves for the Islanders (7-4-0) and Jordan Binnington stopped 25 shots for the NHL-worst Blues (3-6-0), who lost their sixth straight game.
“Regardless of what’s going on over there, that’s a great hockey team and they’re going to figure it out and have a great season,” Anders Lee said.
Lee completed a Gordie Howe hat trick in the second period, picking up the primary assist on Brock Nelson’s power-play goal to make it 2-1 at 5:06, scoring from the slot for a 4-1 edge at 10:18 and overmatching defenseman Niko Mikkola in a one-sided fight at 12:45.
“We knew they were going to be coming hard,’’ Lee said. “Sorokin bailed us out a few times and then we kind of got to our game.”
The Islanders reversed the Blues’ early momentum quickly in the second period as Kyle Palmieri deflected defenseman Noah Dobson’s shot just 14 seconds in to tie the score at 1.
But Dobson’s better play came as he used his stick to knock down the puck and prevent Mikkola from being sprung for a breakaway coming out of the penalty box after the Islanders failed to convert a five-on-three advantage. Dobson then fed Lee, who fed Nelson.
“It was a good keep by Dobber,” said Nelson, who extended his goal streak to four games. “They were close to springing him there and having a break.”
Josh Bailey, diving to tuck the puck in at the left post, had made it 3-1 at 7:05.
Berube questioned his team’s effort after Monday’s 5-1 loss to the visiting Kings. The next day, Armstrong met with the players, then told the media in St. Louis that the team lacked a competitive edge.
Armstrong also issued a vote of confidence for Berube, who led the Blues to the Stanley Cup in 2019.
Not surprisingly, the Blues were a motivated team to start the game.
Sorokin denied Ryan O’Reilly’s tip attempt just 55 seconds in and Vladimir Tarasenko’s slap shot from the slot at 2:18 of the first period.
The Blues then hemmed Casey Cizikas’ line with Matt Martin and Cal Clutterbuck in the defensive zone for about 90 seconds, with defenseman Alexandar Romanov’s shift lasting 2:27.
Tarasenko, open off the right post, finally made it 1-0 at 8:17 of the first period. But Sorokin kept it a one-goal deficit by stretching out his right pad to deny Jake Neighbours at the post at 15:24.
“That’s an all-world save,” Lambert said. “He can move laterally and it’s just a fantastic save for us.”
Robert Thomas’ power-play shot did deflect in off defenseman Scott Mayfield to bring the Blues within 4-2 at 8:40 of the third period, but Jean-Gabriel Pageau added an empty-netter.
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.
