Mathew Barzal rises to occasion for Islanders in pivotal third period of Game 4 win over Bruins

It was a third period destined perhaps to define a season, and perhaps to extend an era.

The Islanders and Bruins were tied at 1 with 20 minutes to play in Game 4 of their second-round playoff series at Nassau Coliseum on Saturday night, and losing was not an option for the home team.

So the Islanders didn’t. Mathew Barzal scored with 6:57 left in the third period, and after two empty-net goals it was 4-1, with Game 5 in Boston and, yes, at least one more game at the Old Barn on Wednesday.

When he was called onto the ice as the first star, Barzal — who also assisted on the Islanders’ first goal — let out a yell that seemed part celebratory and part cathartic.

"Just some passion coming out, I guess," he said.

Barzal started slowly in the playoffs but now has strung together several good games — he scored the Islanders’ only goal in Game 3 — which is a good sign for the team.

"It’s fun to watch," Casey Cizikas said. "He’s an elite player with superstar skill."

Barzal swatted a bouncing puck past Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask for the game-winner, but that only was the most dramatic thing that happened in that final period, not the only one.

It included a little bit of everything, including former Islanders great Clark Gillies being shown on the video board chugging a beverage, then smashing the can against his head.

(Earlier, the Jets’ Dan Feeney had done the same thing, a reprise of his celebration earlier in the playoffs.)

The Islanders had some good chances against Rask early in the third, including a near tip-in by Noah Dobson and a good, hard shot from Ryan Pulock.

But both teams had opportunities as Rask and the Islanders’ Semyon Varlamov held firm in their nets. Some had suggested coach Barry Trotz go back to Ilya Sorokin in goal after Varlamov lost Game 3, but he wisely did not.

The Islanders clamped down in the final minutes and earned a trip back to Boston tied at two games apiece in what has been an entertaining and evenly fought series.

Things took a strange turn in the first period when Scott Mayfield fought the Bruins’ Taylor Hall. The fight wasn’t strange, just the fact Hall was in it. It had been a while between fights for him. Ten years, actually.

Soon thereafter, there was another extended scrum following a high stick by Barzal to which the Bruins took exception.

It ended with the Islanders’ Matt Martin outpointing the Bruins defenseman Jarred Tinordi in a long fight, inspiring "Mat-ty Mar-tin" chants from the crowd.

The best scoring chance of the first period came when Boston’s David Pastrnak hit the far post when confronted with a completely unguarded net.

It was a shocking moment for Pastrnak, who in Game 1 had a hat trick and is a gifted goal-scorer. He fell to the ice in disbelief.

"That one was very fortunate for us," Mayfield said. "Probably one of the best goal-scorers, who hit the post.

"I’m sure he wants that one back."

The Bruins scored first when David Krejci popped the puck over Varlamov after a scramble in front of the net at 3:57 of the second period.

It was a power-play goal, owing to Martin being called for a hold.

The Islanders challenged on the grounds Marchand had interfered with Varlamov, but it was ruled he had not.

After killing the ensuing delay-of-game power play, the Islanders tied it at 6:38 of the second when Barzal skated behind the goal with Curtis Lazar chasing him futilely and found Palmieri in front.

It all set up a frenzied final 20 minutes, and Barzal’s big score.

"To get that goal at that time to give us a lead, that’s the type of play he makes," Cizikas said. "He doesn’t miss those."

By Neil Best

neil.best@newsday.com@sportswatch

Neil Best first worked at Newsday in 1982, returned in 1985 after a detour to Alaska and has been here since, specializing in high schools, college basketball, the NFL and most recently sports media and business.