5 Takeaways: Islanders Point Streak Ends With 4-1 Loss in Pittsburgh

The New York Islanders eight-game point streak came to an end on Thursday night, as the Islanders fell 4-1 to the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG Paints Arena.
Sidney Crosby, Teddy Blueger, Jason Zucker and Bryan Rust scored for the Penguins, who handed the Islanders their first regulation loss since Jan. 28. Brock Nelson's power-play goal was the lone tally for the Islanders. Tristan Jarry made 31 saves for the win, while Semyon Varlamov stopped 33 in the loss.
"We had a good run," Nelson said of the point streak ending. "Trying to bank as many points as you can with the shortened season and only playing in our division. You need to get runs like that. Tonight was a tough one. I thought we got off to an OK start… then, we found ourselves in a hole and couldn't get out."
Here are five takeaways from a loss in the Steel City.

ISLES FALL BEHIND EARLY:

Barry Trotz didn't think the 4-1 final necessarily reflected how Thursday's game played out, but even if the coach liked some of the jump from his team early, the Islanders found themselves in an unfamiliar spot after 20 minutes: trailing.
Nelson turned the puck over in front of the Islanders net, leading to Crosby deflecting a Kasperi Kapanen shot past Semyon Varlamov at 4:15. That marked the first time the Islanders had trailed in nearly three full games and sent them into chase mode, forcing them to open up as opposed to the stingy, suffocating squeeze they put on the Sabres for two-straight games.
Both teams traded special teams chances through the second period, but despite building some momentum from a five-on-three kill, the push stalled late in the second, as Teddy Blueger went undetected at the backdoor and swept a Mike Matheson rebound past Varlamov with 1:59 to play. Pittsburgh nearly made it 3-0 in the dying seconds of the period, had Varlamov not stood his ground on a pair of Crosby whacks.
"The second goal sort of took a little bit of us," Trotz said. "Instead of getting a lot of momentum off that 5-on-3, we let a defenseman jump by us. He put it off the back wall and they get a greasy goal."
The Islanders' best chance to get back in the game was a Cal Clutterbuck shorthanded shot off the crossbar to start the third, but the Penguins eventually took a 3-0 lead on Zucker's fourth of the season at 9:11. Like the previous Penguins' goals Zucker's was scored in tight, burying a feed from Rust from the greasy areas.
Nelson's power-play goal with 4:21 to play made it interesting for a moment, but that's as close as they'd come, as Rust iced it with an empty-netter.
"We didn't have enough push in the third," Trotz said. "We can be better. We just have to respond. Our game wasn't a 4-1 game in my opinion."

ISLES OFFENSE CAN'T CONVERT:

After scoring three-or-more goals in four-straight games - and in five of their last six games in February - the Islanders offense went quiet on Thursday night.
It wasn't for lack of shooting, as the Islanders put 25 shots on Jarry through two periods, but didn't create a bevy of second-and-third opportunities. It was a night where bounces didn't go their way either, as Clutterbuck's shorthanded chance off the crossbar bounced out instead of in to start the third, a shot that would have cut the deficit in half.
"You can't dwell on those things," Bailey said of the Clutterbuck chance. "Just wasn't our night tonight."
The Islanders were 4:21 away from being shut out for the second time this season when Nelson netted his fourth power-play goal of the season. Josh Bailey hit Nelson with a slap pass in the slot, which the center redirected past Jarry to spoil the clean sheet.
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"It wasn't our night around their net," Trotz said. "I don't think we got to their net well enough tonight, but we didn't execute on some of our chances to create a little bit more offense."

ISLES PK SOLID VS PENS:

One highlight for the Islanders on Thursday was the penalty kill, which went four-for-four vs the Penguins.
The highlight was a 1:13 five-on-three kill in the second period, where the Islanders turned aside five Penguins shots, with two more for good measure on the five-on-four. Varlamov was excellent on the penalty kill, robbing Rust - the Penguins leading scorer - with the blocker on the doorstep.
Unfortunately for the Islanders, the inspired effort didn't change the outcome of the game. The Islanders' power play went 1-for-3.

TENSION BUILDING AS TEAMS GET CHIPPY:

Thursday marked the third of six meetings this month between the Islanders and Penguins and the agitation between the rivals appeared to be building.
Casey Cizikas dropped the gloves with Brandon Tanev in the first period, seemingly as a response to a hit from a week prior. It was the Islanders first fight of the season, but set the tone for a chippy affair.
Mike Matheson's boarding call on Mathew Barzal was another flashpoint, with Matt Martin taking an unsportsmanlike penalty on Matheson, who threw a high hit on Johnny Boychuk in the bubble over the summer, after he got out of the box. That set the tone for a scrappy finish, as a few scrums, facewashes and some roughing between Scott Mayfield-Evgeni Malkin finished the game.
"Starting to see these guys more and more, both sides get sick of seeing one another," Lee said. If you play enough hockey, these kinds of things are going to happen. Look, we're both playing for position in the standings and throughout the season. Considering how much we see them momentum was in that series as well. It's expected. It's what makes this game fun and exciting and hard. [We have] a great opportunity in a few days to get back at them."
They'll see each other again on Saturday and then two more times this month.

BELLOWS IN FOR DAL COLLE:

The Islanders made one forward change on Thursday night, as Kieffer Bellows drew into the lineup for Michael Dal Colle. Bellows returned to the lineup for the first time since Jan. 30 and was a one-for-one swap for Dal Colle, as Bellows joined Brock Nelson and Jordan Eberle on the second line.
Bellows played 7:47 with three hits and no shots on goal, in what Trotz called a 'missed opportunity' for Bellows. While he started with Nelson and Eberle, he finished the game with JG Pageau and Oliver Wahlstrom, as Trotz reworked his top-six, going back to his opening night configuration.

NEXT GAME:

The Islanders and Penguins meet again on Saturday night in the Steel City. Puck drop is at 7 p.m.