Islanders hang tough but succumb to powerful Avalanche in overtime
DENVER The Islanders can be content with getting a point out of Tuesday.
But its hard to be content with how they played.
The Avalanche imposed their will on the Islanders throughout a 5-4 overtime loss in which the Isles played desperate and capitalized on some chances, but blew a pair of leads and saw Nathan MacKinnon score the winner at fou-on-three.
It was the third loss in four games for the visitors, and the gameflow very much illustrated the gap between the Isles and a team considered to be one of the Stanley Cup favorites.
I thought there were moments when we probably could have gotten two points. But we have to understand, as a group, collectively, about managing the puck better, coach Lane Lambert said following a night where his team had little to no extended offensive zone pressure. Its that simple.
5Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon, center, celebrates with defenseman Cale Makar, left, and right wing Valeri Nichushkin after scoring against the New York Islanders in overtime. APIt does say something about the Isles that they kept the game close as long as they did, despite being badly outskated. But whatever silver lining comes from that is more than canceled out by the pair of leads the Isles handed away.
From the jump, the Islanders spent most of the game scrambling in the defensive zone, didnt seem to have an answer for the Avalanches speed and rarely broke through the neutral zone.
Goaltender Semyon Varlamov also left the game with an apparent injury after 14:52, forcing Ilya Sorokin into relief. So, too, did Robert Bortuzzo in the second period without putting weight on his right leg after taking a big hit from Samuel Girard along the left wall.
Despite all that, the Islanders entered the third period with a 4-3 lead after Alexander Romanovs one-timer caromed off Jack Johnsons skate and in 10:18 into the second.
5Simon Holmstrom of the New York Islanders scores against goaltender Alexandar Georgiev of the Colorado Avalanche. NHLI via Getty ImagesBut it was never realistic for that lead to hold with the Islanders letting up as much offensive zone pressure as they were, particularly after Mike Reilly took an interference penalty at the 10:47 mark of the third a call Lambert described as terrible.
Valeri Nichushkin tied the game for Colorado before that power play expired, tapping the puck in after Cale Makars shanked shot from the point fell to Nathan MacKinnon at the post, his second goal of the night.
Nichushkin came close to completing the hat trick before regulation expired, but his drive to the net with 20 seconds to go was ruled no goal upon review, allowing the Islanders to escape with a point.
I thought we did a good job protecting the middle of the ice, Noah Dobson said. Guys were collapsing, blocking shots. Wasnt easy, obviously, going down a man, its hard. Tough game to play as it is. But guys did a good job of collapsing, protecting the middle of the ice.
5Mikko Rantanen and Valeri Nichushkin of the Colorado Avalanche celebrate a goal against the New York Islanders. NHLI via Getty ImagesMacKinnons right-circle one-timer after Scott Mayfields holding penalty at the end of regulation, though, made getting two points a mere dream.
Asked about the penalty the Islanders took late, Lambert wryly responded: Which one?
That was fairly reflective on a night where even Lambert, who would usually prefer to focus on his teams 31 blocked shots and battle level in a game where they were outshot 39-22, could not pull all that much positive out of his teams performance.
Goals off the rush from Pierre Engvall, Brock Nelson and Simon Holmstrom helped the Islanders open up a 3-1 lead early in the second period despite Colorado doubling up their shot count through the first 20 minutes. But a pair of goals from Nichushkin and Jonathan Drouin canceled that lead out in short order.
5New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin during the second period against the Colorado Avalanche. USA TODAY Sports via Reuters ConIt ended up being the first of two leads the Isles would blow a gut punch, but one that very much reflected the direction of traffic.
Thirty-seven games into the season, it is becoming a little futile to wonder whether the Islanders are a good team dressed in bad clothing or vice versa. The reality right now is, they are in a tight playoff race and need to keep collecting points.
And the reality is that playing the way they did on Tuesday, at a bare minimum, makes that a lot harder than it needs to be.
5Robert Bortuzzo of the New York Islanders is helped off the ice during the second period against the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena. NHLI via Getty ImagesWe put ourselves in some situations we dont and cant continue to put ourselves in, Lambert said. But the effort was there.
That is true. It is also not enough.
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