Islanders blow another third-period lead in loss to Red Wings
Islanders centers Kyle Palmieri and Bo Horvat look on late in the third period of an NHL game against the Detroit Red Wings at UBS Arena on Monday. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
It always comes back to the same conversation about the Islanders, doesn’t it?
For as well as they played for 50 minutes – and they did – an inability to hold the lead in the third period was again the deciding factor.
“Especially when I was playing, I said some nights it’s better to be lucky than good,” coach Patrick Roy said. “Hopefully, at some point, we’re going to be lucky and good at the same time.”
A mixture of bad luck and mistakes led to Monday night’s 4-2 loss to the Red Wings at UBS Arena in the middle match of a three-game homestand as the Red Wings scored three times in the third period, including twice within a span of two minutes, 33 seconds.
The Islanders (8-9-5) have blown third-period leads in four of their last five games. But Bo Horvat couldn’t convert an open one-timer at the crease that would have given the Islanders a two-goal lead early in the third period. Defenseman Grant Hutton hit the crossbar less than a minute after the Red Wings tied the game. Simon Holmstrom shot it high and wide from right in front in the final minute with the Islanders skating six-on-five.
“We need to continue to do exactly what we’re doing,” Roy said. “Changing won’t help us. I really believe that those chances will go in. You have to be resilient. We could feel sorry for ourselves or roll up our sleeves and get ready for the next game and that’s the approach we need to have. We need to believe in what we’re doing.”
But the defensive coverage lapsed on the Red Wings’ two, five-on-five goals in the third period.
Dylan Larkin, sprung from the penalty box less than a minute earlier after the Islanders’ 0-for-3 power play (two total shots) could not capitalize on his tripping call, swept the puck past Semyon Varlamov (17 saves) to tie the game at 2-2 at 11:20 of the third period. Lucas Raymond deftly tipped defenseman Simon Edvinson’s shot from the left point at 13:53 for the winner and Edvinsson clinched it with an empty-netter with 2.4 seconds left.
“We didn’t change anything,” said Brock Nelson, who moved past John Tonelli into sole possession of ninth place on the Islanders’ all-time points list with 545 after his tip of defenseman Isaiah George’s point shot (the 20-year-old rookie’s first career point) led to Kyle Palmier’s rebound goal for a 2-1 lead at 7:42 of the second period.
“I don’t think we let our foot off the gas. It’s just a matter of a couple of plays where you don’t execute or you need a timely block. Yeah, it’s frustrating.”
Raymond also scored the winner on Thursday as the Red Wings (9-10-2) tallied twice in the final 4:46 to end the Islanders’ disappointing 1-2-2 road trip with a 2-1 defeat.
“They’re not going in for us right now at times and we’ve just got to push through it,” said Anders Lee, whose one-timer opened the scoring at 4:35 of the first period. “And, obviously, we’ve got to find a way to keep the puck out of the net in the third period.
“We can’t seem to get out of our own way at times. Our mistakes are costing us goals.”
On the plus side, the Islanders’ penalty kill was a strong 3-for-3 and allowed just two shots.
But Alex Lyon, who has won all three games against the Islanders this season, made 27 saves and defenseman Mortiz Seider tied it at 1-1 with a one-timer at 13:25 of the first period.
The Islanders were annoyed Hutton was called for boarding Tyler Motte in the second period while defenseman Ben Chiarot was not initially whistled for a similar play on Lee in the third period. Chiarot eventually was but not before Lee was given a double minor for roughing on the retaliation.
Notes & quotes: Left wing Anthony Duclair (right leg/long-term injured reserve), hurt on Oct. 19, and defenseman Adam Pelech (jaw/injured reserve), who last played on Nov. 1, both have resumed skating on their own. Both were expected to miss four to six weeks… Defenseman Alexander Romanov was unable to play because of illness…Roy said goalie Ilya Sorokin would start Wednesday against the visiting Bruins.
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.
