Islanders finally put out strong effort in win over Bruins
Islanders players celebrate a goal by defenseman Noah Dobson, left, against the Bruins in the third period of an NHL game at UBS Arena on Thursday. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
Hope may be all that’s left for the Islanders this season, but they certainly clung to it on Thursday night with a throwback performance.
A balanced four-line effort evolved into a dominant three-goal third period as the Islanders topped the Bruins, 4-1, at UBS Arena to snap a three-game losing streak.
"I felt like it was a playoff game for us tonight," said Mathew Barzal, who pushed the lead to 3-1 at 13:32 of the third period, skating around the crease to get to the rebound of the second of two shots by Kieffer Bellows.
"We knew tonight was huge after dropping one in Buffalo," Barzal added of Tuesday’s 6-3 loss to the Sabres, which concluded a discouraging 1-3-0 road trip. "And where we’re at in the standings. We know who we’re chasing. That was a big one for us and I felt like we, for the most part, played championship-caliber hockey and just played smart."
The Islanders (18-20-6) moved within 16 points of the Bruins (27-17-4) for the Eastern Conference’s final playoff spot and have four games in hand on Boston. They also improved to 4-16-2 against teams holding a playoff position — including two wins over the Bruins. They’ve been outscored 72-40 in those games.
"When you lose games, it’s not a good feeling," said defenseman Noah Dobson, whose wrist shot from the right point gave the Islanders a 2-1 lead at 5:50 of the third period. "That feeling carries over into the next game, too. But I think when you get a big win like tonight, hopefully we can build on our confidence."
Ilya Sorokin (26 saves) maintained that one-goal lead with a lunging blocker save on Craig Smith’s power-play try from the right at 12:12. Linus Ullmark stopped 25 shots.
This season certainly started with Stanley Cup-or-bust expectations after back-to-back berths in the NHL final four. Thursday’s performance recalled the best of the Islanders from those seasons.
"Guys know what’s at stake and we know we have to be better," defenseman Ryan Pulock said. "There’s no quit. Guys are mad at how we’ve been playing."
Jean-Gabriel Pageau’s power-play goal at 11:30 of the second period tied it at 1 as he rushed to the crease to knock in the rebound of Dobson’s one-timer. The Islanders held an 11-2 shot advantage in the period at that point as they improved their passing, forecheck and wall play to sustain pressure in the offensive zone.
Sorokin started the game making 12 straight saves, seeing the puck well through traffic. But after Anton Blidh was called for interference against Kyle Palmieri at 14:18 of the first period, a so-so power play produced one shot and the Islanders lost some momentum.
Taylor Hall gave the Bruins a 1-0 lead at 17:26 of the first period with a soft goal, rushing up the left wall and banking the puck in off Sorokin to the short side from a sharp angle.
It marked the 10th time in 11 games the Islanders have allowed the first goal.
Sorokin kept the score tied at 1 with back-to-back kick saves on defenseman Brandon Carlo and then Hall on the rebound from the slot.
Brock Nelson’s empty-netter capped the scoring in a third period that coach Barry Trotz said should bolster the Islanders’ confidence. They are 2-2-3 when tied after two periods and 1-17-2 when trailing after two.
"We’ve been in that position a couple of times and haven’t done as well as we’d like," Trotz said. "It’s positive reinforcement to see the game you have to play and we did that. That’s a step in the right direction for sure."
So there’s hope. That’s something for the Islanders.
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.
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