3 Takeaways: Islanders Bested By Bruins 5-2

The New York Islanders dropped their third straight game on Thursday night, falling 5-2 to the Boston Bruins at TD Garden.

Charlie Coyle’s first-career hat-trick led the way for Boston, while Trent Frederic and David Pastrnak (PPG) also scored for the Eastern Conference-leading Bruins. Brock Nelson (PPG) and Simon Holmstrom (SHG) scored for the Isles. Ilya Sorokin stopped 30 of 34 in the loss, while Linus Ullmark stopped 27 of 29 in the win.

The loss was the Islanders second in a row and extended their winless streak to three games (0-2-1). The loss also extended the Islanders struggles in Boston, as Thursday marked their seventh straight regulation defeat (0-5-2) in Boston.

“We are, right now, having trouble for whatever reason sustaining a 60-minute game and we have to find a way to do that,” Head Coach Lane Lambert said.

The coach added: “Right now, we’ve got to find a way to dig ourselves back in and dig ourselves out a little bit. Too many times at these costly moments, we’re not up to the task.”

ISLES PLAY CATCHUP, BUT CAN’T COMPLETE COMEBACK

There was little margin for error for the Islanders heading into a matchup with the stingiest team in the Eastern Conference.

While the Isles played a solid first period – outshooting the Bruins 15-12 – they found themselves playing catchup, as Bruins opened the scoring at the 14:05 mark of the first period, as Trent Frederic beat Ilya Sorokin low-blocker from the high slot.

The Islanders answered back, with Brock Nelson potting a power-play goal at the 17:23 mark, knocking a Noah Dobson rebound out of the air after the Islanders blocked a Brandon Carlo clearing attempt.

The Isles power-play goal was their first on the road this season and snapped the Bruins perfect home PK streak at 24 consecutive kills.

The first period was a back-and-forth affair, with the teams combining for 13 total high-danger chances at five-on-five, but both teams clamped down in the second period, with only two high-danger chances recorded at five-on-five. Still, the Bruins skated to a 2-1 lead when Charlie Coyle finished off a tic-tac-toe sequence from the bumper spot on a Bruins power play.

Special teams proved to be the Islanders undoing on Thursday night, as the Isles allowed a pair of power-play goals. Simon Holmstrom gave the Islanders some hope, as he buried a shorthanded goal at the 2:50 mark of the third period, but the Bruins got back 43 seconds later, as David Pastrnak snuck a shot through Ilya Sorokin that just dribbled over the line. Instead of capitalizing on the Holmstrom goal, the Isles found themselves chasing again.

“We came back twice,” Jean-Gabriel Pageau said. “That last power-play goal, I’m on the ice. We have to kill that one and that was a big goal definitely for them.”

Coyle doubled the lead with his second goal of the night, converting a cross-ice feed from James van Riemsdyk at 9:26, as the Bruins had numbers down low on the Islanders after a turnover. Coyle eventually iced the game with an empty-netter with 1:21 to play to complete his first-career hat-trick. In the process, the Isles dropped to 0-4-0 when allowing the first goal and 0-3-0 when trailing after two periods.

“Obviously we didn’t get the result that we wanted, but when you’re in a stretch, you try to take the positive, or take the negative and use it constructively,” Pageau said. “The main thing is just to stick together, that’s how we’re going to get back on a winning streak and I’m sure we’re going to do it.”

HOLMSTROM AND PAGEAU TEAM UP AGAIN SHORTHANDED:

Simon Holmstrom and Jean-Gabriel Pageau connected on a shorthanded goal for the second time in three games on Thursday night, briefly getting the Islanders into a 2-2 tie in the third period.

Bruins captain Brad Marchand tried to knock Alexander Romanov’s clearing attempt out of the air and the Holmstrom-Pageau duo pounced, racing up the ice before burying a two-on-one. For Holmstrom, the goal marked his second shorthanded tally of the season and third goal in his last four games.

Pageau said the pair have just been in the right place at the right time for their two tallies, but they’ve also generated two-on-none rushes that have resulted in additional chances. Unfortunately, the high of Holmstrom’s goal wore off quickly, as the duo were on the ice for Pastrnak’s eventual winner 43 seconds later.

“We’ve had bounces going our way and we’ve had our chances and when we’ve had our chances we’ve scored on them,” Pageau said. “We haven’t had plenty of chances, but our first goal is to kill them right now.”

HORVAT AND BOLDUC IN, ENGVALL AND PELECH OUT:

Bo Horvat returned to the lineup on Thursday night, drawing back in after a one-game absence. Horvat’s return meant Mathew Barzal moved back to the wing, with Oliver Wahlstrom skating opposite him. Horvat skated 18:22 with two shots on goal, four total attempts and went 8-for-16 at the dot.

“Obviously it’s not easy coming back and playing after almost a week of being off, but I felt better as the game went on,” Horvat said. “I definitely think I have more to give.”

To accommodate Horvat’s return, Pierre Engvall was a healthy scratch. Anders Lee assumed Engvall’s spot on a line with Brock Nelson and Kyle Palmieri, through the trio were each minus-three in the contest.

Adam Pelech was a late scratch on Thursday night, sitting out for the second time in three games with a lower-body injury. After the game Lambert confirmed that Pelech was dealing with the same issue that knocked him out of last Thursday’s game against Washington.  

Samuel Bolduc drew into the lineup, skating alongside Scott Mayfield, as Lane Lambert was forced to shuffle his blue line.

NEXT GAME:

The Islanders return home to take on the Washington Capitals on Saturday night. Puck drop is at 7:30 p.m.