Takeaways: Isles Fall 4-1 in Anaheim

The New York Islanders dropped a 4-1 decision to the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday night in the second half of a back-to-back set.

Sam Colangelo (2G), Drew Helleson, Mason McTavish led the way offensively for the Ducks, while Tony DeAngelo scored the lone goal for the Islanders.

Marcus Hogberg 24 saves on 27 shots – including a penalty shot - in his return to action after missing 14 straight games, while Lukas Dostal made 31 saves in the win.

“We had a bad start, a not-so-great middle and our push came in the third, but it was too little too late,” Kyle Palmieri said. "There were a lot of things missing, execution in general and it wasn't a good start. Hogberg gave us a chance to find our way and get back into the game, but we weren't able to do it. So, there were definitely a few things missing."

The Islanders lost a chance to gain ground in the wild card race on Sunday. The Islanders (65 points) are four points back of the Ottawa Senators (69 points) for the second wild card spot after the Columbus Blue Jackets (70 points) moved to the first wild card spot with a 7-3 win over the New York Rangers.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Isles struggled to find consistency in their game on Sunday night, as they had a solid jump in the first 10 minutes of the opening frame but allowed the Ducks to find momentum.

Colangelo cut across the crease with patience, getting Hogberg out of position as he dove to his left and got beat on the backhand at the 17:52 mark of the first period.

Anaheim kept pressing and extended their lead early in the second period. After the Isles lost a defensive zone faceoff, the Ducks got to work fast. Helleson’s shot from the point hit the skate of an Isles defender and beat Hogberg at 14:56 of the second period.

Mason McTavish's power play goal 43 seconds into the third period took a 3-0 lead for the Ducks and Roy pulled the goalie in the middle of the frame, but Colangelo scored his second goal of the game with an empty-netter.

"They put a lot of pressure on us in our d-zone," Scott Mayfield said. "We had a couple shifts where we had some looks but just couldn't find a way."

The Islanders had a late push, as their 16-shot effort in the third period resulted in Tony DeAngelo scoring to avoid what would have been the seventh shutout of the season. Adam Boqvist got the puck out to Max Tsyplakov, who was denied by Dostal. DeAngelo picked up the loose change, carrying the puck out to the point, and ripping a shot through Dostal to make it 4-1 with under five minutes left in the game.

Hogberg, who played for the first time since Jan. 25, had a solid performance in his return as he adjusted back to game action. The Swedish netminder was tested with a penalty shot in the third period and denied Jansen Harkins to keep the Islanders within three.

“It’s tough to do, playing your first game in quite some time, he had a great game,” Palmieri said. “We didn’t play well enough in front of him. He kept us in it and gave us a chance to find our legs and find a way back into the game.”

LINEUP NOTES

Defenseman Adam Boqvist played out of his natural defenseman, as he started the game at center in light of Kyle MacLean missing the game with an illness.

Boqvist embraced the challenge of playing his first NHL game as a forward, and Head Coach Patrick Roy appreciated Boqvist's effort in playing out of his natural position.

“I appreciated what he did, and I thought he had a good game,” Roy said of Boqvist, who logged 10:31 TOI, two hits, one assist and one shot on goal.

Scott Mayfield drew back into the lineup after missing Saturday’s contest as a healthy scratch. Mayfield skated 13:56 and recorded a blocked shot.

NOTABLE QUOTE

Roy on Hogberg’s performance on Sunday:

“I was happy with him. He made some really good saves. We pulled the goalie really early because we needed a lift, create something, but that did not do it. But he’s the reason we had the chance to be in that game.”

NEXT GAME

The Islanders wrap their three-game California road trip with a contest against the Los Angeles Kings. Puck drop is set for 10:30 p.m. eastern.