The streak ended in Seattle. The New York Islanders’ point-scoring streak ended with a 3-2 loss in Seattle. The New York Islanders surrendered a third period goal, again, this time with 3:13 left in the game. This ending for the Islanders was costly because the gritty Islanders left points they needed on the table. Forfeited was the chance to get a needed point, or two, which would have made a very successful week just three games into a mammoth five-game road trip.
The Islanders need all the points they can get right now to keep pace in the Metropolitan Division. They also needed the points to continue to tick off games with Mat Barzal, Anthony DuClair, and three of their top six defensemen hurt. We will see if the New York Islanders can begin a new streak on the road in Calgary on Tuesday. Interestingly, there was a lot to do with Brock Nelson in this game.
Brock Nelson Giveth and Taketh Away
Brock Nelson has been an important player for the New York Islanders during their point-scoring streak. In this game against Seattle Nelson scored a shorthanded goal, his seventh. Considering how poor the Islanders have been on the penalty kill this season, this shorthanded goal was important. Later in the third period, again shorthanded, Nelson had a breakaway and did not score. The puck was rolling, but Nelson needed to convert this scoring opportunity given the devasting injuries to the other Islanders’ forwards.
A Costly Challenge Ends Streak
On Seattle’s third goal of the game, it appeared that Jamie Oleksiak interfered with Islander Goalkeeper Ilya Sorokin. The goal was ruled a good goal on the ice, but the Islanders challenged the goal. After a review, the officials said the goal was good. So, not only were the New York Islanders down 3-2 with a little over three minutes to go, but they were also shorthanded. Thus, pulling their goaltender would yield no advantage and they had to be on their bad penalty kill at the end of the game. The game was effectively over.
Solid Goaltending From Sorokin Again
Sorokin again played well for the Islanders. This is good because the Islanders will need their dynamic Russian goaltending duo to play great if they are to start another string of successful games. Sorokin was under siege at some key moments of this game. He allowed three goals on twenty-seven shots (Sorokin had twenty-four saves for the Islanders). He had a .889 save percentage.
Scoring Summary
The point-scoring streak for the Islanders ended on a late goal in this game against Seattle. Seattle scored first when their fourth-line member, Yanni Gourde, scored. The Seattle fourth line played great all day. The Islanders evened the score when Pierre Engvall scored for them for the second game in a row.
There was no scoring in the second period but there was a lot of scoring in the third period. In that period the New York Islanders took a 2-1 lead when Brock Nelson scored a big shorthanded goal for the Islanders. Seattle’s leading scorer Jared McCann scored his ninth goal of the season for Seattle to knot the score at two. Then Jamie Oleksiak scored a contested goal for Seattle to win the game.
Conclusion
The New York Islanders wasted a golden opportunity to get ahead in the game at Seattle. Like a broken record, the Islanders lost 3-2 after they surrendered a late goal, with just 3 minutes and thirteen seconds left in the third period. The points the Islanders left on the table are valuable now and will be needed come springtime. Fans of the team are correct to wonder how such a good defensive team repeatedly lets in goals late in the third period.
On the upcoming schedule, the New York Islanders have two more games on this road trip. They look to begin a new point-scoring streak at 10 p.m. Eastern on Tuesday, November 19 against the Calgary Flames. The Islanders stop in Detroit for a game on November 21 before they head home to host the St. Louis Blues, Detroit Red Wings, and Boston Bruins. Oddly, the game against Detroit is the third time they have played the Islanders in this young season.
