Islanders blow two third-period leads, drop season opener to Utah Hockey Club in overtime

What worked for the Islanders in the preseason was not working once the puck dropped on the regular season Thursday night. The pace was faster with points in the standings at stake, and the Islanders just couldn’t seem to consistently connect on passes. Twice in the third period they allowed equalizing goals less than a minute after taking the lead.

On one sequence in their second-period power play, defenseman Noah Dobson turned an open Mathew Barzal around in the left circle with an off-the-mark feed. Barzal’s return pass then jumped over Dobson’s stick and out of the offensive zone, leaving an unhappy Barzal to retreat to the bench.

“Everybody did a lot of good things and we were sloppy at times,” coach Patrick Roy said.

But part of being a good team is showing resiliency, and the Islanders finally started to connect on passes and press the attack in the final period. Still, they opened the season with a 5-4 overtime loss to Utah — the NHL’s newest franchise playing its first road game — at UBS Arena, with Dylan Guenther scoring the winner at 2:18 of the extra period.

“I don’t think that was our best,” Jean-Gabriel Pageau said. “We stayed positive. We came back in the third and showed some character.”

Max Tsyplakov, the 26-year-old rookie from the Russian KHL, gave the Islanders a 4-3 lead at 17:53 of the third period with a rising wrist shot. But Josh Doan tied it 13 seconds later.

Pageau’s shorthanded backhander gave the Islanders a 3-2 lead at 6:51 of the third period. Guenther countered with a power-play goal 44 seconds later.

“There’s one thing we need to be better at is when we have leads, find a way to protect that lead,” Roy said. “Twice we gave them the chance to come back in that game.”

Goalie Semyon Varlamov looked in midseason form in making 21 saves. He kept his teammates in the game long enough.

There were plenty of positive signs through a 4-2-0 preseason, notably the chemistry shown by the top line of Bo Horvat centering Barzal and newcomer Anthony Duclair.

The power play, which ranked 19th in the NHL last season, went 6-for-14 in the last three preseason games. It went a disjointed 1-for-6 with only seven shots on Thursday, failing to convert on a four-minute advantage after defenseman Ian Cole high-sticked Anders Lee at 9:22 of the third period. Utah was 2-for-2.

“It’s nice to move the puck but, at times, you need shots on net,” Roy said. “We did well, getting in and moving that puck. But c’mon, we’ve got to get shots on net here.”

Horvat tied it at 2-2 at 1:03 of the third period as Duclair set him up for a one-timer in the slot against Utah (dubbed Hockey Club for now but expected to be the Yetis next season).

Duclair, who signed a four-year, $14 million deal to join his ninth NHL club in 11 seasons, opened the scoring as Dobson’s power-play shot from the blue line went in off his skate at 11:10 of the first period. The goal survived Utah coach Andre Tourigny’s challenge that Duclair, skating across the crease, interfered with goalie Connor Ingram (21 saves).

“We didn’t get a good enough start,” Duclair said. “I think that was key. Little sloppy plays. I think we were trying to be too cute.”

Ingram, who had a diving save on Kyle Palmieri’s look at an open net on the Islanders’ second power play in the first period, stretched his left toe to deny an open Duclair at the crease at 16:12 of the third period.

Lawson Crouse’s power-play one-timer tied it at 1-1 with 58.4 seconds left in the first period and Barrett Hayton, tipping defenseman Mikhail Sergachev’s point shot, gave Utah a 2-1 lead at 13:07 of the second period.

Notes & quotes: Former Islander Josh Bailey, marking the start of the new season for the fans in his old jersey standing next to a new blue-and-orange lighthouse on the second-level concourse, was honored with a tribute video during the first period . . . Forward Julien Gauthier and defenseman Dennis Cholowski were the healthy scratches.

By Andrew Gross

andrew.gross@newsday.comAGrossNewsday

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.