3 Takeaways: Isles End Homestand with 5-4 Shootout Loss to Bruins

The New York Islanders’ four-game win streak came to a close, but their point streak was extended to eight straight, in a 5-4 shootout loss to the Boston Bruins at UBS Arena on Friday night.

Bo Horvat had a three-point night (1G, 2A), while Alex Romanov, Simon Holmstrom and Brock Nelson (1G, 1A) scored for the Islanders, while Mathew Barzal had a pair of assists.

David Pastrnak scored the game-deciding goal in the shootout, while also adding a power-play goal and an assist in regulation. Morgan Geekie (1G, 1A) and James van Riemsdyk (1G, 1A), each scored power-play goals, while Mason Lohrei notched the game-tying goal at even strength.

Ilya Sorokin stopped 30-of-34 in the shootout loss, while Linus Ullmark stopped 33-of-37 in the win. 

With the shootout loss, the Islanders finish their six-game homestand with a 4-0-2 record, picking up 10 of a possible 12 points. The Islanders home point streak reached eight games (5-0-3), while the Isles now have points in 14 of their last 15 games (9-1-5).

OVERALL, A PRODUCTIVE HOMESTAND:

While there was a bit of a sour taste from Friday’s shootout loss, the overall homestand was a successful one. The Isles picked up a point in all six games, going 4-0-2 overall. They scored regulation wins over Columbus and Anaheim, beat the best road team in the NHL in the Kings and scored an OT win over Toronto. They were in a prime position to win both their OT loss to San Jose and Friday’s shootout defeat against the Eastern Conference leading Bruins.

“If you said [10 of 12 points] before going into it, we’d take that every day,” said Noah Dobson. “It's been a good little stretch here. Now we just have to keep building here and I'm take it on the road.”

It was a condensed stretch as well, with six games in an 11-day stretch. They scored 26 goals over the six games, averaging 4.3 per game and did so without Adam Pelech for all six games, without Ryan Pulock or Sebastian for four of them and without Scott Mayfield for the final two.

PENALTY KILL ALLOWS THREE GOALS:

At five-on-five, the Islanders were the better team on Friday night, but losing the special teams battle ultimately cost them.  

Even-strength goals from Alex Romanov and Simon Holmstrom – who scored on a slick breakaway – had the Isles up 2-0 in the second period, but the Bruins used special teams to get back into the game, eventually scoring three power-play goals.

“For 60 minutes I thought were the better team,” Horvat said. “We played really well tonight, especially five and five and it's unfortunate we let them back in it on the penalty kill and that's what ultimately costs us.”

Morgan Geekie got the Bruins on the board at the 14:45 mark, converting a tic-tac-toe play from the low slot. Geekie’s goal came just after Holmstrom and JG Pageau were both robbed by Linus Ullmark on a shorthanded two-on-one, a save that effectively swung the momentum in the contest.

The Bruins tied the score less than three minutes later, as David Pastrnak one-timed a Kevin Shattenkirk pass by Sorokin at 17:26, moments after the Isles failed to clear the line.  

The Isles took a 3-2 lead with a power-play goal of their own in the third period, the Bruins answered again with the man advantage, as James van Riemsdyk deflected a Kevin Shattenkirk shot at 10:48.

That marked the fourth time this season the Isles had allowed three power-play goals in a game and first since the Isles did so on back-to-back nights against Vancouver and Seattle on Nov. 15 and 16.

In the intervening 12 games, the Isles penalty kill improved dramatically, only allowing five goals while killing at an 82.1% rate. However, the Bruins power play has the Isles figured out this season, scoring five goals on six total power plays.

While it wasn’t a great night for the Islanders penalty killers, the Isles power play stayed hot, going 2-for-4.

“It's nice to see that we're clicking,” Dobson said. “Guys are going into the power plays with a plan and we've been executing our plays. Those are big goals for us to we have to continue to do that.”

Horvat scored his 11^th goal of the season on the man advantage, as posted up in his usual bumper spot, collected a pass from Brock Nelson and wristed a shot past Ullmark at 5:06 of the third. The power-play goal was the first allowed by the Bruins’ league-leading penalty kill in seven games. In the process, Horvat extended his point streak to a career-high tying nine games, with 15 points (6G, 9A) over that span.

Nelson netted a power-play goal of his own at the 12:01 mark, corralling a Horvat rebound and burying it past a sprawling Ullmark to put the Isles up 4-3.

“We're scoring the goals. It's just a matter of keeping them out of the net right now,” Horvat said. It's no fault to Sorokin, he's played as well as he's played in his career and a lot of them he has no chance on, so it's up to us in front of them to get the job done.”

ISLES ALLOW LATE GOAL AGAIN:

While it was a productive homestand for the Islanders, late goals against were still prevalent.

The Isles allowed three goals in the final nine minutes of their 5-4 OT loss to San Jose, allowed the tying goal with 6.4 seconds to play against Toronto and fell behind 3-2 in the third period against Anaheim before rallying.

On Friday, the Isles allowed another late goal, with Mason Lohrei netting the tying goal with 3:09 to play in the third period. The Bruins defenseman pinched down low amidst a chaotic sequence in the Islanders zone and threw a puck on net from below the goal line that somehow found its way through Sorokin. Head Coach Lane Lambert felt that a trip should have been called on Geekie on the play, but alas the goal counted.

“They did a good job pressing and throwing pucks at them and giving themselves a chance and one just squeaks in,” Anders Lee said. “Can't get on the guys for that. They’re doing everything they can out there.”

Friday also marked the third straight game the Islanders had blown a multi-goal lead and the 11^th total time this season.

The Isles had a chance to get the point back in overtime, but a thrilling back-and-forth session resulted in a shootout, which saw a pair of Bruins goals from Charlie Coyle and Pastrnak, to just – another slick goal – by Holmstrom.

NEXT GAME:

The Islanders are back in action on Saturday night when they visit the Montreal Canadiens. Puck drop is at 7 p.m.