Takeaways: Islanders Drop 4-3 SO Decision to Bruins  

The New York Islanders fell to the Boston Bruins 4-3 in a shootout on Tuesday night, but extended their point streak to three games (2-0-1) in the process.

Bo Horvat scored twice, and Anthony Duclair found the back of the net for the Islanders, while Viktor Arvidsson, Pavel Zacha and Marat Khusnutdinov scored for the Bruins in regulation. Boston got the edge in the shootout with Khusnutdinov burying the game-deciding goal.

Ilya Sorokin turned aside 24 of 27 shots faced in the loss, while Jeremy Swayman made 29 saves in the win.

“We’re going to have nights where you play good hockey games and you come up short,” Anders Lee said. “Tonight was one of those games. We did a lot of good things, we just have some things to clean up defensively.”

TAKEAWAYS

- The Islanders led 1-0, 2-1 and 3-2 in what was a closely-checked and contested game that the Islanders were unable to close out. Khusnutdinov tied the score with 4:54 to play, getting to a Sorokin rebound and burying a diving backhander to force overtime. After a scoreless extra frame, Khusnutdinov completed the job for the Bruins by scoring the lone goal for the Bruins.

"It was a hard-fought game by both teams, we’re obviously disappointing not to come out on the winning side of that,” Horvat said.

Following a low-event opening frame with 10 shots combined between the two teams, the second period was action-packed and emotionally charged with two goals scored on both sides and a physical scene involving Matthew Schaefer. Nikita Zadorov cross-checked the first-overall pick and then checked him again as he was getting up, leading to Lee and Duclair jumping in to stand up for the 18-year-old defenseman. Zadorov was assessed three minor penalties and Lee and Duclair took minors following the scene behind the net, with the Isles ending up with two minutes on the man advantage.

"Teams are seeing how good he really is,” Duclair said. “Obviously you want to be hard on good players and we try to do the same with our star players. He’s definitely going to have a target on his back all year, we’re here to protect him for sure.”

Schaefer appreciated his teammates standing up for him, just as they’d done after Mason Appleton’s late hit in the Isles win over Detroit a few weeks back.

“We’re a family in here, I love these guys,” Schaefer said. “I know they always have my back, and I will always have theirs. It means a lot.”

- The Islanders got some offense from their fourth line to open the scoring. In a quick sequence, Kyle MacLean won an offensive zone draw and Casey Cizikas muscled the puck to Duclair, who ripped a shot from the high slot to open the scoring at the 5:11 mark of the second period. Roy was happy to see Duclair get rewarded after he spent extra time on the ice following Monday’s practice.

- Horvat’s hot hand continued as he scored a pair of goals on Tuesday. The first was an easy finish on a two-on-one rush with Mathew Barzal, and the second came from the high slot off a feed from Schaefer. Schaefer made a heads-up play, receiving a pass from Kyle Palmieri after stepping out of the penalty box and connecting with Horvat at the blue line, allowing Horvat to blast past Bruins a defender and take a 3-2 lead.

“It was great, quite the heads up play by him,” Horvat said. “I was hoping he was going to hit me and when I can go full steam ahead like that, happy to get that one.”

- It was Horvat’s second multi-goal performance of the season. Horvat has nine goals in his last 10 games, which leads the team.

“He’s got a hot stick and the ability to create a shot on his own and he can rip it,” Lee said. “And those were some big goals for us tonight.”

- Special teams faltered against the Bruins, as the power play allowed a fluky goal. Sorokin stopped Arvidsson’s shot with his left pad, but the puck bounced hit Lee’s skate and into the net. The penalty kill’s streak of going 12-for-12 over the span of three games was snapped when Zacha went top shelf on Sorokin after blown coverage by the Isles.

- With an assist on Horvat’s second goal of the game, Schaefer recorded his 11^th point of the season, making him the third Islanders player to record over 10 career points before the age of 19, per NHL PR. The others to do so are Tim Connolly and Dave Chyzowski.

- Sorokin looked solid between the pipes, making big saves in key moments. Sorokin denied an Arvidsson attempt in tight early in the game, while also making an impressive save on Zacha on the right side of the crease. He denied Morgan Geekie’s attempt in the third period. Sorokin strung together two solid outings, allowing four goals over that span.

“He’s aggressive out there, he’s challenging the shooters,” Roy said. “I’m happy for him because he’s been playing with a lot of confidence right now, which is what you want as a goalie.”

NEXT GAME

The Islanders wrap their three-game homestand with a contest against the Minnesota Wild on Friday, Puck drop is set for 7PM.