Game Recap: Ducks 4, Islanders 1

The New York Islanders liked a lot about their game on Wednesday night. The only thing not to like was the result, a 4-1 loss to the Anaheim Ducks at Honda Center, the team's second straight loss on their four-game road trip.
"I would take that game all year long on the road," Head Coach Barry Trotz said of his club's effort, which was strong, but didn't get rewarded on the scoresheet.

"We played the right away," Trotz added. "After two periods they had three scoring chances five-on-five, but we're down 2-0. I give the guys credit, they stayed with it right to the end. We didn't have any passengers, we didn't get a save when we needed it unfortunately and that's going to happen."
Casey Cizikas broke John Gibson's (34 saves) shutout bid with 35 seconds to play, but that was the Islanders' lone tally Wednesday. By then it was already 3-0 on a pair of goals from Ryan Kesler and a third-period backbreaker from Adam Henrique. Hampus Lindholm accounted for the 4-1 final with an empty-netter after Cizikas' goal. Thomas Greiss made 21 saves in the loss.

DUCKS SPOIL GOOD FIRST PERIOD FOR ISLES:

A pair of plays foreshadowed the type of night it would be for the Islanders. The first came at the end of the opening period, when Kesler knocked a Sam Steel rebound past Greiss with six seconds to play.
Kesler's power-play goal sent the Islanders to the intermission down 1-0, undoing a solid opening frame where the Isles controlled the pace and territorial battle. Ryan Pulock had perhaps the best chance, when his blast got through Gibson early in the frame, but trickled wide.

OVERTURNED GOAL CHANGES MOMENTUM:

The turning point in the game came in the second period, when Mathew Barzal seemingly put the Islanders on the board after jamming in a rebound at the side of the net. Instead of finding themselves in a 1-1 tie, Barzal's goal was overturned after the Ducks challenged for goalie interference, as Cal Clutterbuck was deemed to have shoved Gibson's pads across the goal line.
Not long after the overturned goal, Kesler scored his second of the night, beating Greiss on a long-range wrister to make it 2-0 at 8:20 of the middle frame.
"Tough call," Barzal said. "That's a big momentum swing, the game is 2-0 now. It happens. Can't control it, got to get back on the horse quickly. I thought we had some chances and credit to their goalie he played a heck of a game."
Anders Lee had the best chance to cut the deficit with a shot off the crossbar in the second, but neither he, nor a late power play - which went 0-for-4 - could solve Gibson. The Ducks took a 3-0 lead 42 seconds into the third, as Max Comtois' sharp-angled shot took a high bounce off Greiss before Henrique batted it in.
"Just a couple inches on a couple plays and it's a completely different game," Barzal said. "I don't think we're too worried with the way we played tonight."

BOYCHUK RETURNS AFTER INJURY SCARE:

Johnny Boychuk gave the Islanders an injury scare in the second period, as the defenseman needed to be helped off the ice after taking a Marcus Pettersson slap shot off the back of his left ankle. Despite not being able to feel his foot, Boychuk returned to finish off the period and played out the rest of the game, which came as a bit of a surprise to the head coach.
"Johnny's tough as they come. He's a little old school and honestly, I was surprised he came back," Trotz said. "He took a laser right off the foot. He is tough. We'll see where he is tomorrow. Sometimes that foot is fine until you take the skate off and then it's bigger than it normally is, so we'll see where it is tomorrow."

ISLANDERS LINES:

NEXT GAME:

The Islanders are back in action on Thursday night when they take on the LA Kings at Staples Center. Puck drop is at 10:30 p.m. et.