3 Takeaways: Islanders Shut Out by Coyotes

The New York Islanders were shut out for the second time this season in a 2-0 loss to the Arizona Coyotes on Thursday.
Ilya Sorokin allowed just one goal on the power play early in the third, to Travis Boyd, but that goal became the game-winning one as the Islanders struggled were shut out by Karel Vejmelka. Jack McBain iced the game for the Coyotes with an empty netter in the final minute.
While the Islanders were able to generate offensive pressure and zone time, especially on the power play, they struggled to capitalize on those chances and ended the game with just 24 shots on goal.
"We've scored lots of big goals in the past few games," Noah Dobson said. "Obviously, we didn't get any tonight, but we had lots of looks, lot of zone time, so I think it's been positive. We just got to keep turning that way."

ISLES MISFIRE AS OFFENSE STAGNATES:

The Islanders had 64 shot attempts on Thursday night, but struggled to get shots on goal. Through two periods, the Islanders had as many missed shots, 13, as they had shots on goal, and they also had 13 attempts blocked. The Islanders ended the game with 17 blocked shots, 23 missed shots and 24 shots on goal.
"You can't score if you don't hit the net," Head Coach Lane Lambert said. "That's the bottom line. Seventeen attempts blocked, 23 missed shots, that's too many."
COYOTES 2, ISLANDERS 0
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The Islanders did have chances throughout the night, with Ryan Pulock and Matt Martin each finding iron in the first and second periods respectively.
In the final minutes, when trying to score the game-tying goal, Mathew Barzal and Pulock cycled the puck well, but neither player hit the net on their shot attempts. Barzal and Pulock each missed five shots, tied for the team high with Dobson.
On a third period power play, Barzal missed the net on a grade-A chance. Martin also had a quality look in the third as Vejmelka coughed up a puck behind the net, but the Islanders could not convert on the open cage.
Barzal leads the team in points with 15 assists, but has yet to score a goal this year.
"I try to score every game, every shift," Barzal said. "As long as the play is there and the impact is there, it's tough to be frustrated. So yeah, just need one to fall. It'll come."

SOROKIN SHARP, BUT YOTES STREAK ENDS:

While saddled with the loss, Ilya Sorokin (27 saves) was key to the Islanders keeping the Coyotes off the board early in the game. Two crucial saves came in the second period, as Sorokin stopped Jack McBain at the doorstep on a two-on-one, and caught a break as Christian Fischer whiffed on the second shot. He also made a critical save on Nick Bjugstad beat a diving Noah Dobsonand then gloved the second effort on the rebound.
Sorokin allowed just one goal, early in the third period off a backdoor play from Clayton Keller to Travis Boyd. The goal ended Sorokin's 161-minute shutout streak against the Coyotes. The game ended Sorokin's five-start win streak.

PENALTY KILL ALLOWS GWG:

After a franchise record 28 consecutive penalty kills, the Islanders have now allowed seven power-play goals in their last seven games, including one just a minute in the third period against the Coyotes. The Islanders went 1-for-3 on the kill on Thursday.
Since that 28-for-28 streak, the Islanders are 14-for-21 on the kill, killing just 66.6 percent of their penalties. The power play goal on Thursday was the game-winner.
"We had a chance to clear and we didn't get it out," Lambert said. "They made a real nice play to the backdoor, their power play is third in the league. They can make plays. (Clayton) Keller made a nice pass across the crease, and there was nothing our goaltender could do about it."
The penalty kill did welcome the return of Cal Clutterbuck, who missed Tuesday's game with an undisclosed injury. Clutterbuck played 3:55 of his 12:26 TOI shorthanded, recorded three hits, one shot, one takeaway and one block.

NEXT GAME:

The Islanders take on the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday night at UBS Arena. Puck drop is at 7:30 p.m.