Islanders confident they can fix mistakes, get even with Bruins

BOSTON — The Islanders are a positive group heading into Game 2 of their second-round series against the Bruins.

But it was not blind positivity. They were realistic about the challenge of slowing the Bruins — who have won five straight playoff games, including 5-2 in Saturday night’s Game 1 at TD Garden — and their lethal top line of David Pastrnak, Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand.

"We’ve got some guys that need to raise their game if we’re going to have success against the Boston Bruins," coach Barry Trotz said on Sunday after an optional practice at Warrior Ice Center. "Right now, they’re feeling good. They’re clicking. They got through Washington. They’ve got their mojo. They’re healthy. They’re getting good goaltending. The power play is hitting a real high rate."

Two-for-two in Game 1, including one from Pastrnak with 23.3 seconds left in the first period as part of his hat trick. One of Bergeron’s two assists came on the power play as well.

"We’ve got to stay out of the box," Trotz said. "We’ve got to contain that big line and, if we can do that, we have to do it with four lines going and everybody contributing."

Those things must happen for the Islanders to return to Nassau Coliseum — which will be nearly packed with 12,000 fans — for Thursday night’s Game 3 with a split of the first two games.

Trotz said he hadn’t yet decided whether to turn back to Game 1 starter Ilya Sorokin or give goalie Semyon Varlamov his first start since Game 3 of the first round against the Penguins.

Trotz said he will dress the same 18 skaters for Game 2 and that he just might switch up his combinations. That likely means a change on Mathew Barzal’s top line after he, Jordan Eberle and Leo Komarov totaled only three shots in Game 1. Eberle and Komarov had assists but Barzal has yet to score a goal this postseason.

"They’re a team that’s known for their offense and their ability to generate on that side of the puck, but they did a pretty good job defending," said Kyle Palmieri, a candidate along with Travis Zajac and, possibly, Jean-Gabriel Pageau to be moved to Barzal’s line.

"I think there are some areas that we can be better at," Palmieri added. "We knew it was going to be a tight series. We’re just looking forward to doing some more things well and trying to get a better result for Game 2."

Despite the Islanders being outshot 40-22 and outchanced 65-38 — Trotz questioned how accurate the scoresheet actually was in that regard — Game 1 was tied at 2 entering the third period. But it turned when the Islanders mustered little on an early power play and defenseman Charlie McAvoy of Long Beach scored the go-ahead goal at 6:20, just 18 seconds after the teams returned to even strength.

"I thought we played a pretty good game," said defenseman Adam Pelech, who tied it at 2 at 12:34 of the second period with a shot through traffic from the blue line. "There are definitely adjustments to be made and I’m sure we’ll take care of that and be a bit more prepared. We were right there until the end."

The Islanders will need more blue-line shots from their defensemen. They will need more traffic in front of Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask. They will need to limit the production from the Bruins’ "Perfection Line."

But they believe they can get that done.

"We’re extremely positive," Pelech said. "We’re all itching to play this game."

By Andrew Gross

andrew.gross@newsday.comAGrossNewsday

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.