Islanders look listless in loss to Flames
Islanders goalie Ilya Sorokin, left, looks back as the Flames' Adam Ruzicka scores a goal during the first period of an NHL game Saturday in Calgary, Alberta. Credit: AP/Jeff McIntosh
Nothing about the Islanders’ latest loss provided optimism as they started the second half of their season.
Playing for the third time in four nights — including goalie Ilya Sorokin, who made a last-minute start with Semyon Varlamov entering COVID-19 protocol after warmups — the Islanders looked slow and tired in a 5-2 loss to the streaking Flames on Saturday night at Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary.
Islanders coach Barry Trotz said of the impact of playing three games in four nights: "I can’t tell you a percentage but it is a little bit of a factor. Some of the goals are puck management. A couple of our decisions weren’t great. But some guys didn’t have legs.’’
Said Mathew Barzal, "They broke out well. Their defensemen are always active, so it makes it tough and it felt we had a lot of two-on-threes, three-on-fours. Never any advantage on the ice. It’s a good hockey team over there.’’
"I don’t think it’s from the commitment,’’ Jean-Gabriel Pageau said. "I think everyone wanted to go out there and win the game and play the same way we did the last two games.’’
The Islanders (17-19-6) have dropped two straight on this four-game road trip, which concludes Tuesday night in Buffalo. They are 17 points out of an Eastern Conference playoff spot and still can’t beat playoff-level competition, falling to 2-15-2 against teams holding a postseason position. They have been outscored 66-32 in those games.
Twenty-three of the final 40 games will be against teams currently holding a playoff spot, including 12 of their last 16 games.
Sorokin, who made 24 saves, allowed at least three goals for a third straight start.
Jacob Markstrom stopped 19 shots for the Flames (26-13-6), who are second in the Pacific Division and have won six straight and eight of nine.
The opportunistic Flames took advantage of the Islanders getting caught puck-watching as Adam Ruzicka opened the scoring at 9:58 of the first period. Defenseman Rasmus Andersson skated behind Sorokin, and Barzal, Anders Lee, Cal Clutterbuck and defensemen Andy Greene and Noah Dobson ignored Ruzicka establishing position just above the crease.
Dobson’s power-play goal through Lee’s screen at 17:07 of the first period tied it at 1. The Flames’ penalty kill at home entered the game ranked first in the NHL, having allowed three goals on 41 chances.
But Oliver Wahlstrom’s neutral-zone turnover turned into defenseman Christopher Tanev’s go-ahead goal just 61 seconds later. His shot deflected off Zach Parise’s stick.
The Flames took a 3-1 lead at 15:32 of the second period as Andrew Mangiapane got to the crease to tip in defenseman Nikita Zadorov’s initial shot. Mangiapane scored two power-play goals in the Flames’ 5-2 win in the first game played at UBS Arena on Nov. 20.
The Islanders didn’t get their first of five second-period shots until Anthony Beauvillier’s backhander at 12:39. Despite not generating enough, they did respond quickly to Mangiapane’s goal as Parise, from behind the net, set up Pageau down low for his first goal since Dec. 19 to cut the Flames’ lead to 3-2 at 16:50 of the second period.
But Erik Gudbranson’s video-reviewed goal at 8:00 of the third period again gave the Flames a two-goal lead as Sorokin allowed his shot from the point to trickle through. Elias Lindholm, left wide open, capped the scoring at 15:13.
The Islanders couldn’t sustain offensive zone pressure because they couldn’t break the puck out of their own zone efficiently.
"It’s tough to be in sync so it’s tough to get a good forecheck going if you’re not breaking the puck out well and coming through the neutral zone with speed,’’ Adam Pelech said. "I think that was one of the big issues tonight.’’
"There wasn’t much happening both sides,’’ Trotz said. "We didn’t generate a lot. They didn’t generate a lot. The biggest disappointment was the third. They had better legs. They were winning more pucks.’’
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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