5 Takeaways: Islanders Lose 4-3 to Buffalo in Shootout

The New York Islanders lost 4-3 in a shootout against the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday night in the second leg of their back-to-back set at KeyBank Center. It was a disappointing trip for the Islanders, who looked to close out their regular-season series against Buffalo on a winning note. After entering the two-game set with a 6-0-0 record, they instead finished with just a point and a 6-1-1 season-series record against the Sabres.
Anthony Beauvillier, Ryan Pulock and Cal Clutterbuck (shorthanded) all scored for the Islanders, while Ilya Sorokin made 28 saves on 31 shots.
Anders Bjork scored twice in regulation and scored the sole goal of the shootout to provide Buffalo with the win, while Cody Eakin also got on the scoreboard. Michael Houser, who backstopped Buffalo in last night's 4-2 win - and his NHL debut - recorded the shootout win as he stopped 45 of 48 shots.

While the Islanders weren't pleased to leave Buffalo with just one point, they took the positives where they could. After Monday's loss, they liked the improvements they made on Tuesday.
"It was better, we had like 40 shots or something," Islanders Head Coach Barry Trotz said. "I liked that we were playing north and weren't messing around. I thought in the second period, we didn't recognize danger. We had three guys really tired and two came off fresh and we mismanaged the puck and I think they ended up with about five chances and a goal. That can't happen, but a lot of good things in the game. We had lots of chances, we had breakaways, we had two-on-ones, but give credit to Buffalo. I thought Buffalo's top six were really good tonight, they were making some good plays, obviously the [Sam] Reinhart line with Bjork, they were really good and [Casey] Middlestadt was really good. Ideally, we'd like to win, but we were more engaged, which was a step in the right direction."
Here are five takeaways from the Islanders' shootout loss:

ISLANDERS MAKE IMPROVEMENTS, BUT FALL SHORT

Monday night's 4-2 loss didn't sit well with the Islanders and they set out to redeem themselves in the second leg of their back-to-back set and final meeting against Buffalo. Their attempt to right the ship got off to a promising start, but the team deviated from its game, which ultimately cost them in the shootout.
"I thought we played a better game tonight than we did last night," Beauvillier said. "We got a point out of it and did a lot of good things tonight. Unfortunately that's hockey, sometimes you play well and don't really get the result you want. At the end of the day, we got a point and we're going to keep looking forward."
The Sabres were the first to draw blood in the game. A poor defensive breakout and subsequent turnover allowed a quick play from Jeff Skinner to Eakin in the slot for an easy finish past Sorokin to put the Sabres up 1-0 late in the period at 15:59.
ISLANDERS AT SABRES
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ISLANDERS SABRES VIDEO
Full Highlights
Beauvillier Ties It 1-1
Pulock's Go-Ahead Goal
Clutterbuck's SHG
Postgame: Trotz
Postgame: Beauvillier
Postgame: Clutterbuck
KINGER'S CALLS
Beauvillier Finishes
Pulock Scores Second
Clutterbuck's Redirect
Down by a goal, the Islanders ushered an immediate response.
Just 24 seconds after Eakin's goal, the Islanders struck back at the other end of the ice. A quick passing sequence from the Brock Nelson, Josh Bailey and Beauvillier line dissected Buffalo's defense. Beauvillier buried Bailey's feed from the low slot with a knee drop to even the score 1-1.
The Islanders rode out the period with momentum and control of the tempo as they received their first power play of the night at 18:36 on Victor Olofsson's holding penalty. The Islanders ended the period with a 21-8 shot advantage and carried over 36 seconds to start the second period.
While the Islanders' extra-man unit was unable to convert on its first opportunity of the night, they benefited from the fortuitous momentum, as the Islanders took their first lead of the night on Pulock's goal 3:44 into the second frame. A hard hit along the boards from Ross Johnston down low provided a loose puck for Clutterbuck to cycle out to Pulock at the point. From his office, Pulock snapped a wrister just below the crossbar to score his second goal of the season.
The Islanders stayed aggressive after going up 2-1, keeping their foot on the gas when the Sabres went on their first power play of the night at 7:19 on Jordan Eberle's slashing penalty.
In the neutral zone, Buffalo d-man Jacob Bryson simultaneously missed a pass and tripped to allow a loose puck, which Clutterbuck scooped up. Clutterbuck raced up ice, took his time in the slot and sniped one of his wicked wrist shots top shelf and past Houser to extend the Islanders' lead 3-1 at 9:16. Clutterbuck's goal was the Islanders' fourth shorthanded tally of the season.

Late in the period the Sabres clawed their way back into the game with a goal at 17:37. Following a defensive-zone possession - in which Sorokin made an initial save - the Sabres cycled the puck back low-to-high where Buffalo defenseman Colin Miller's point shot, Bjork redirected Miller's shot to cut their deficit down 3-2.
While the Islanders held a one-goal lead with 20-minutes left in regulation, they were unable to lock it down and instead, allowed the Sabres to send the game into overtime and the subsequent shootout.
Bjork sent the game into OT as he wired a wrist shot from just inside the right faceoff circle just under Sorokin's glove at 10:56. Casey Cizikas had a chance to seal the game late in the third period on a breakaway, but was stoned by Houser and thus, both teams advanced to the extra period.
Following a scoreless and relatively low-active overtime period the shootout featured superb goaltending from both sides. Houser denied all three of the Islanders' shooters, Jordan Eberle, Beauvillier and Oliver Wahlstrom. Sorokin was solid as he stopped Reinhart, and made an excellent glove save on Mittlestadt, but Bjork converted the sole goal of the shootout in the second round.

BEAUVILLIER HOT STREAK CONTINUES

Video: NYI@BUF: Beauvillier buries the dish from Bailey
With his first-period icebreaker, Beauvillier's production continues to heat up.
The 23-year-old deposited his 14th goal of the season and his sixth goal in the last eight games. With the goal, Beauvillier extended his point streak to four games with five points (4G, 1A) in that span.
Beauvillier also fired off a game-high of seven shots on goal on Tuesday night.

LINEUP CHANGES

Ahead of Tuesday's game, Trotz hinted that there would be some changes to the Islanders' lineup to rest players and confirmed that the majority of the adjustments would affect the forward group, while he would opt to use the same six defensemen.
The lineup certainly had a different look to it as it didn't include Mathew Barzal, Matt Martin or Leo Komarov. Barzal, the Islanders' points leader (15G, 26A, 41P) was healthy scratched, which snapped a streak of 284-consecutive games played dating back to the start of the 2017-18 season.
Along with Barzal, Martin missed his first game of the season on Tuesday.
"Mathew, Martin and [Komarov], those guys play a lot of minutes," Trotz said. "I need them fresh and ready of the playoffs. They're big pieces of what we do."
While Barzal, Martin and Komarov sidelined, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Michael Dal Colle and Ross Johnston returned to the lineup.
Pageau drew back in the lineup after missing Monday night's game - in just his second missed game of the season - due to needing 'rest' per Trotz. Pageau skated 16:12 TOI, had one shot, one block and one hit.
Dal Colle returned to the lineup for the first time since April 24th and logged 14:54, fired off four shots and threw one hit.
Johnston drew in the lineup for the first time since April 3rd totaled 11:29 TOI, had one shot and four hits.

SOROKIN RETURNS TO NET

Sorokin returned to the net for the first time since April 27th and made his 20th start of the season. The Russian rookie recorded 28 saves in the shootout loss. In regulation, Sorokin was solid, especially in the midst of Buffalo's second-period push where they outshot the Islanders' 11-8.
In the shootout, Sorokin showcased his agility and speed and was stellar, but came up short. The 25-year-old now has a 12-7-1 record.

PELECH'S 300TH GAME

On Tuesday night, Adam Pelech skated in his 300th NHL game.
Throughout his five-year NHL career, the 26-year-old blueliner has compiled 74 points (16G, 58A) in his 300 games. Through 53 games this season, Pelech has totaled 13 points (4G, 9A) and is one-goal shy of matching his career best.

NEXT GAME:

The Islanders return to Nassau Coliseum for a two-game homestand as they host the New Jersey Devils on Thursday night. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m.