Takeaways: Islanders Fall 4-2 to Red Wings

The New York Islanders dropped a 4-2 decision to the Detroit Red Wings at UBS Arena on Monday night.

Anders Lee and Kyle Palmieri scored for the Islanders, but it wasn’t enough to combat offense from Moritz Seider, Dylan Larkin, Lucas Raymond and Simon Edvinsson (ENG).

Semyon Varlamov turned aside 17 of 20 shots in a loss that snapped his personal three-game point streak. Alex Lyon stopped 29 of 31 shots in the win.

The Islanders were solid out of the gate – holding the edge on shots 6-0 to start the contest – and found their first goal when they attacked the Red Wings zone early in the game, with JG Pageau finding Lee in the left circle. The captain fired off a wrister that beat Lyon to open the scoring at 4:35.

Detroit tied things up in the frame, as Seider's slap shot from the right circle beat Varlamov to tie the game at one apiece.

The Islanders jumped ahead again when Isaiah George’s wrister from the point bounced off Brock Nelson in front of the net, leaving an open Palmieri from the side of the crease to bank it home at the 7:41 mark of the second period.

The Isles had a lead in the third period for the sixth straight game, but allowed the game-tying goal for the fourth time over that span when Larkin used a spin move in front of the net to whip in a rebound to tie the game at two apiece at 11:20 of the third period. Raymond gave the Red Wings their first lead of the game with 6:07 to play with a deflection that beat Varlamov.

The Islanders tested Lyon with 14 shots in the third period – with Grant Hutton and Simon Holmstrom getting prime chances in the final frame, but couldn’t break through, with Edvinsson icing the game with an empty-netter.

The result stung for the Isles, who suffered a similar upending on Thursday at the hands of the Red Wings and were swept by Detroit in the three-game season series.

"They're not going in for us right now at times, and we just got to push through it,” Lee said. “Anytime you lose a game, there's a level and the way things are going right now we're not getting the results that we need to be getting."

TWO SIDES TO SPECIAL TEAMS:

Special teams told a story of good and bad news for the Islanders, as they went 0-for-3 on the power play but their shorthanded units went a perfect 3-for-3.

The power play failed to convert through two opportunities in the first period and one early in the third, which felt like a missed opportunity to pad their lead.

“The power play had a chance to make the difference to make it a 3-1 game, and we just didn't do it,” Head Coach Patrick Roy said. “But we had our chances to make it 3-1.”

Facing a team with the league’s sixth-best power play (28.1%), the Islanders locked it down through three kills, which is an encouraging sign for the Islanders PK which ranks 31st in the NHL (68.2%).

“We were very good, and the guys did a really nice job especially in the two [penalties] at the end of that second period,” said Roy. “It was a key moment to have a 2-1 lead at the end of two. I love the way we fore check and the support that we have."

ODDS AND ENDS

- George tallied his first NHL point with a secondary assist on Palmieri’s goal

“That moment was pretty cool to get one,” George said after the game. “But it was in a loss, so it’s kind of bittersweet.”

- Nelson passed John Tonelli for sole possession of ninth on the all-time list in scoring with his 545th career point for the Islanders.

- With a secondary assist on Lee’s tally, Noah Dobson became the seventh defenseman in Isles history to reach the 200-point mark.

- Nelson led the team with six shots.

LINEUP NOTES

Alexander Romanov (day to day, sick) missed Monday’s contest. Grant Hutton drew into the lineup in his place, playing 12:31 and recording one shot, one hit and took a boarding penalty in the second period. Hutton played on a pair with Dennis Cholowski.

NOTABLE QUOTE

Lee on turning the page after their loss to Detroit:

"We need to. We had a big game coming up to finish off the home stand. Give our fans what they deserve, which is a good hockey game."

NEXT GAME

The Islanders wrap their three-game homestand with a matchup against the Boston Bruins on Wednesday night at UBS Arena. Puck drop is set for 7:30 p.m.