Recap: Late Shorthanded Goal the Difference in 4-3 Loss to Isles

The Ducks erased a two-goal second-period deficit but fell 4-3 to the New York Islanders tonight at UBS Arena on Simon Holmstrom's shorthanded go-ahead goal with less than two minutes to play.

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The loss dropped Anaheim to 10-18-0 on the season and 5-8-0 away from home ice.

Troy Terry, Adam Henrique and Sam Carrick scored for the Ducks, with Carrick giving Anaheim a 3-2 lead with 15 minutes to play in regulation. Leo Carlsson, Pavel Mintyukov, Urho Vaakanainen and Brett Leason tallied assists. John Gibson made 30 saves.

Holmstrom scored the decisive tally for New York with 1:33 left in the third, his league-leading fourth shorthanded goal of the year. Mathew Barzal, Kyle Palmieri and Casey Cizikas also scored for the Islanders, who won their fourth straight game and improved to 14-7-7 on the season, four points back of the rival Rangers for first place in the Metropolitan Division. Semyon Varlamov earned the win in net with 20 stops.

The Islanders appeared to take the night's first lead late in the first period on a rebound chance in tight, but the goal was nullified after review as defenseman Mike Reilly was ruled to have interfered with Gibson in the Ducks crease.

Instead it would be the second period filling the scoresheet, as the Ducks answered a pair of early Islanders goals with two quick-strike markers of their own.

Palmieri opened the scoring as New York capitalized on an Anaheim defensive zone turnover, beating Gibson on a one-timer from Brock Nelson behind the net.

A former first-round pick by the Ducks, Palmieri has eight points in his last five matchups against his original NHL team. Now in his fourth year with the Isles, Palmieri is fifth among team leaders in scoring (9-9=18) and tied for third in goals this season.

Cizikas doubled the home side's advantage off the rush, converting a terrific cross-ice pass by Cal Clutterbuck as Gibson tried to stretch across his crease.

Now in his 13th season on Long Island, Cizikas is seventh in franchise history in games played (773), just behind longtime teammates Matt Martin and Brock Nelson.

Anaheim responded before the period expired though, courtesy of a couple of friendly bounces in the slot.

The first came as Terry tried to zip a no-look pass to the backdoor on the power play, but had his offering deflect off the skate of a New York defender and immediately past an uncertain Varlamov.

The goal snapped a 16-game drought for Terry, who scored 60 across the last two seasons. The two-time All-Star winger now has points in three of his last four games (1-2=3) and is eight points shy of 200 for his NHL career.

Carlsson and Mintyukov collected the assists and are now both tied for seventh among NHL first-year players in points (14) this season, while Mintyukov paces league rookies in assists.

Henrique tied the game six minutes later when he jumped over the boards and quickly found himself in the right place at the right time - tucking home a deflected shot after defenseman Urho Vaakanainen had snapped his stick on a bid from the high slot.

Henrique has scored in consecutive games (2-0=2).

Unfortunately for New York, it would be more of the same early in the third as Carrick gave Anaheim its first lead with a wrister from the high slot that ramped off the stick of defenseman Samuel Bolduc and over Varlamov's shoulder.

Like Henrique and Terry, Carrick's goal was his sixth of the season.

But this time it would be the Isles' turn to respond, with Barzal leveling the score once again on a one-timer in the left circle while Cam Fowler sat for tripping.

The goal made Barzal the 23rd NHLer this season to eclipse 30 points.

Holmstrom scored the decisive goal seconds after a tripping call against defenseman Robert Bortuzzo, beating Gibson high to the short side from a sharp angle on a shorthanded 1-on-2 rush.

The Ducks continue a four-game road trip Friday against the Rangers.