Bruins Beat Islanders Big at UBS 3-1
The Bruins are a befuddling matchup for the New York Islanders. However, the Islanders need to beat teams with worse records than they have; the Bruins do, especially at home. However, the Islanders lost this game 3-1. The Islanders came into this game off a win and are currently tied for second place in the Eastern Conference.
They are playing well and cannot afford to fall off track, particularly at home, given how tight the standings are. The game was important because 77.9% of teams in a playoff position in the National Hockey League on American Thanksgiving make the playoffs. Do you think the Islanders will make the playoffs?
Bruins Beat Islanders 3-1
The Bruins will face the Islanders in the last game of a four-game road trip. They are 1-2-0 so far. The Bruins are in fourth place in the Atlantic Division with 26 points this season, two points less than the Islanders. Here is a scoring summary.
In the first period, there were two goals as the Islanders and Bruins traded goals. First, Mat Barzal scored for the Islanders, giving them a 1-0 lead. It was his bobblehead night, and Matthew Schafer got an assist. Then, the Bruins evened the score. That is how the first period ended, 1-1.
In the second period, Tanner Jeannot scored. That gave the Bruins a 2-1 lead.In the third period, the Briuns scored shorthanded. Alex Steeves scored his second goal of the game, his third of the season, to give the Bruins a 3-1 lead. That is how the game ended.
News and Notes
- Head Coach Patrick Roy announced Ilya Sorokin will start the game tonight in goal. Sorokin is 4-4-3 with 2.86 goals and a .898 save percentage in eleven career games against the BruinsHis statistics are becoming, slowly, more respectable. He has been better of late. In the month of November, Sorokin has posted a 4-2-1 record, 1.84 GAA and .936 SV%.
- Both David Pastrenak and Morgan Geekie are on three-game point streaks. Geekie, in particular, has been hot all season. He is doing his best Wayne Gretzky impersonation. With seventeen goals on the season, Geekie is tied with Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon for the National Hockey League lead.
- The Bruins own the National Hockey League‘s tenth-best face-off percentage, winning 52.5% of their draws.
- Islander’s top overall draft pick, Matthew Schafer, drew a penalty in the first period. He ranks third in the National Hockey League in penalties drawn.
- The Islanders’ penalty kill has been quite good recently. They have killed off nineteen of their last twenty opportunities, that is 95%, and will do wonders for a team’s overall percentage. They have killed 37 of their last 40, which is 92.5%. A weakness last season has become a strength. Without Alex Romanov (who will miss 5-6 months after surgery on his right shoulder) and Pageau out, the penalty kill lost two top contributors, but Roy has been ramping up Cal Ritchie and Heineman to slot in shorthanded.
- The Briuns have some significant injuries. Charlie Macavoy, who may be their best defenseman, is injured. Also, two of the Bruins top eight forwards in Casey Middlestadt and Victor Arvidsson. Despite the fact that the Bruins have serious injuries, they played the Islanders tough.
Pageau Injury Update
Islanders forward JG Pageau is week-to-week with an upper-body injury. He has not resumed skating on his own, according to Islanders head coach Patrick Roy. Pageau got injured in the 2-1 loss to the St. Louis Blues on Saturday.
“He’s had a real big impact on our team, he’s really smart out there, and he can be used all over the ice,” Emil Heineman said. Heineman added, “We have to try to fill in and help the team any way we can. He’s had a big year with [Holmstrom] on the PK, so I have to keep that up.”
Conclusion
The standings in the Eastern Conference are packed tightly. Both the Islanders and Bruins came into this game in playoff positions. However, this was a flat effort from the Islanders, who have come home and cannot score. There was a lot of energy in the building, but it was squandered.
