The Islanders beat the Ducks 3-2 in a meeting of teams that are struggling. Anaheim had lost four consecutive games coming into this one, and the Islanders had, too, due to significant injuries. The game marked the first visit of Ducks forward Leo Carlsson to Long Island since signing a 5-year, $90 million contract. This contract has an average annual value of $18 million and was the highest average annual value in the League at the time it was signed.
The Islanders beat the Ducks 3-2; meanwhile, they have been forced to deal with significant injuries to Alexander Romanov, Mat Barzal, and now Matias Maccelli and Callum Ritchie. To fill the roster, they called up Mitchell Chaffe from the Hamilton Hammers and brought Kyle McLean out of the press box. They will team on the fourth line with Casey Cizikas on the fourth line. Is this a new identity line for the Islanders?
Islanders Beat the Ducks 3-2 Summary October 20
The Anaheim Ducks have the youngest team in the League. They have lost four games in a row coming into this one. They lost 5-2 to the Rangers last night. The game was 5-0 until the final two minutes. They are playing a back-to-back. In this second game, they changed all four of their lines, their three defensive pairings, and their goaltender. The Islanders have a three-game point-scoring streak, but they have been forced to juggle their lineup as the injuries mount. Here is how this game played out.
In the first period, Ondrej Palat scored first for the Islanders. Then Victor Eklund scored and gave the team a 2-0 lead. The lead did not last long as Frank Vatrano scored for the Ducks. That made the score 2-1, but the Ducks took a penalty, and Simon Holmstrom scored for the Islanders, which made the score 3-1. That is the way the first period ended. The Islanders dominated play in this period.
In the second period, there were no goals in the second period. The Islanders had the better of the play in this period as well, though there were a few mistakes that led to some scary chances for the Ducks.
In the third period, the Ducks pulled Dostal, and Cutter Gauthier scored. That made the score 3-2. That was the final score of this game, and the Islanders beat the Ducks 3-2.
Watch the Sorokin Workload
Ilya Sorokin started this game tonight. He earned the win as the Islanders beat the Ducks 3-2. He started the game against Lukas Dostal. Sorokin started the 4-1 win in Toronto on Saturday. We need to watch his workload closely. The last two seasons, he started well over fifty games and tired. Last year, his end-of-year slump might have cost him the Vezina Trophy as the National Hockey League’s best goaltender. The team needs to play his backup, Semyon Varlamov. He made the team and has demonstrated that he is healthy enough and capable of playing at this level despite his injuries.
NHL Debuts and First Game of the Season
As the Islanders beat the Ducks 3-2, they were forced to juggle their lineup. Having to replace two forwards in this game, Maccelli and Ritchie, they had a couple of season debuts. Key McLean had sat in the press box all eight games so far this season, but played tonight. The team also was forced to call up Mitchell Chaffe from the American Hockey League Hamilton Hammers. He was playing well down there with six points in six games. They teamed on the fourth line tonight, teaming with Casey Cizkas.
This Game and the Next
The Islanders beat the Ducks 3-2 in this game. The player of the game was Viktor Eklund, who scored his second career goal in this game. It was not his birthday, but it was good to see the youngster get his second goal of the season. The Islanders next play on Thursday at 7:30 as they host the Los Angeles Kings.
Conclusion: A Needed Win
The Islanders need to beat weak teams. They hosted an Anaheim Ducks team that had lost four games in a row coming into this one. The Islanders beat the Ducks 3-2 in this game, getting a win over a team they should beat. They handed the Ducks their fifth consecutive loss in this game. That was a good effort despite being shorthanded. They are now on a four-game point-scoring streak.
Don't stop here
Every Score. Every Story. One Home.
Breaking sports, entertainment and news from across the Total Apex network, updated all day.
Get the Full Story →
