Isles power play proves their undoing

The Islanders’ penalty kill was the unsung hero of their resounding win over the Rangers Thursday night, but their power play was their undoing last night in a 4-2 loss to Carolina.

The Islanders’ power play struggled once again, allowing the ninth-place Hurricanes to make up ground in the Eastern Conference standings and pull within one point of the eighth-place Rangers.

Entering the game with only one man-up goal in the last seven games, the Islanders faltered on the power play on all four opportunities.

The biggest miss came with the Islanders down 3-2 with 1:32 to play. Hurricanes defenseman Jamie McBain sailed one over the glass for a delay-of- game penalty, but the Islanders couldn’t couldn’t get a puck past Cam Ward.

Matt Martin had a prime opportunity, but the man-advantage was nullified when a bouncing puck hopped over defenseman Mark Katic’s stick near the blue line. Katic tried to keep it in the zone, but Eric Staal pounced and darted in to add an empty-netter with 48 seconds remaining.

“I knew I could bat it down in the corner, but at the last second it took a hop. On a six-on-four, you’ve just got to take chances. That’s what you do,” Katic said. “I really wanted to keep that in. I’m actually pretty mad about that.”

The Islanders are 1-for-26 on the power play in the last eight games.

“I know right now I feel more comfortable on the five-on-five than on the power play,” PA Parenteau said. “We’re generating way more five-on-five, which is not normal.”

Trailing 2-1, the Hurricanes posted up in front for two deflected goals in the third.

Joe Corvo got a piece of Tim Gleason’s bomb for the equalizer at 3:02 and picked up a secondary assist on Erik Cole’s redirection of Staal’s shot at 6:04 for a 3-2 lead.

“They came on in the third and we couldn’t contain them down low,” Islanders coach Jack Capuano said.

Corvo finished with a goal and two assists. He picked up his first assist on the game’s first goal, backhanding a lead pass to Jussi Jokinen in front at 4:47.

Four minutes later, Jesse Joensuu tied the score with his wrist shot from the right circle.

With the game still tied in the second period, John Tavares redirected Matt Moulson’s shot for his 28th goal of the season and a 2-1 Isles lead at 7:05.

“Whether we’re playing a team that’s battling for a playoff spot, in the playoffs or a team that didn’t make it,’’ Tavares said, “we’ve got to make sure to find ways to play the full 60 minutes.”

Notes & quotes:

Islanders C Frans Nielsen, who won the team’s Bob Nystrom Award for dedication, missed the game with concussion-like symptoms. Nielsen is day-to-day after suffering a head injury on Marian Gaborik’s first-period hit Thursday night. With the 26-year-old center out, winger Blake Comeau moved to the middle for the first time since junior hockey.