Islanders beat Bruins in shootout for sixth straight win

Back and forth they skated through the third period, each team trying to force a mistake and turn it into the deciding play. Neither yielded much space in their own zone, though there was considerably more in the three-on-three overtime.

In many ways, the Islanders and Bruins are mirror images, two teams with solid defensive structures that can create offensively if given room.

"Every time, it’s a tough game," defenseman Ryan Pulock said. "They’re hard, they’re physical on the forecheck. We like to play that way, too. It was tight all game, especially in the third. We like being in those playoff-type games."

Finally, the Islanders won a 2-1 shootout on Tuesday night at Nassau Coliseum for their fourth straight win over the Bruins. In coach Barry Trotz’s milestone 1,700th game, the East Division-leading Islanders (16-6-4) extended their winning streak to six games and their points streak to 8-0-1.

It marked the Islanders’ first non-regulation win in five tries.

"It’s always fun to get the extra point," Jean-Gabriel Pageau said. "It’s good for the confidence of the shooters. They did some stuff I couldn’t do so it’s fun to watch."

Anthony Beauvillier, lifting a backhander, scored the decisive goal in the third round of the shootout and Semyon Varlamov (32 saves) denied Brad Marchand to seal the Islanders’ victory.

"I thought we got to our game in the third period," Trotz said. "I didn’t like our second [period]. These are two evenly-matched teams that play very similar styles in many ways. There wasn’t a lot of room out there."

Tuesday marked the fourth straight time the Islanders and Bruins have entered the third period tied, this time at 1.

Pageau’s goal at 15:51 of the third period gave the Islanders a 1-0 win on Jan. 18. Mathew Barzal’s third-period power-play goal and Pageau’s subsequent shorthander were the difference in a 4-2 win on Feb. 13. Ex-Islander Jaroslav Halak, who made 26 saves on Tuesday, allowed five third-period goals in the Islanders’ 7-2 win on Feb. 25 In his first start against his former team since joining the Bruins via free agency in 2018.

"It’s not going to be easy against those guys, they play hard," said Brock Nelson, who scored the equalizer with a power-play one-timer in the slot off Pageau’s feed at 16:18 of the second period. "Not a lot of space and they play fast. It’s going to be a close game."

It might have gone the Bruins’ way had Varlamov not somehow extended his stick to deny David Krejci’s open power-play backhander from the left at 10:09 of the second period. In all, Varlamov made three of his saves with rookie Oliver Wahlstrom in the penalty box for a questionable boarding call against defenseman Jarred Tinordi.

Trotz called that penalty kill the game’s turning point.

"That was a big save in the right moment," Varlamov said. "I was kind of out of position and the puck bounced back right on his stick. The net was wide open. I had a chance to stop it with my stick. That’s a lucky play."

David Pastrnak’s power-play goal through traffic from the right had given the Bruins a 1-0 lead with 27.7 seconds left in the first period.

Notes & quotes: The Islanders improved to 11-0-2 at the Coliseum and remain the lone NHL team without a regulation loss at home…Nelson has a three-game goal streak…Trotz inserted Leo Komarov for Michael Dal Colle as he altered his lineup for the first time in seven games. He said he wanted Komarov’s presence against longtime adversary Marchand, who licked Komarov’s face in a 2018 run-in.

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.