After a loss to the Washington Capitals on Saturday night, the New York Islanders looked for a stronger start to their game on Monday, October 13 against the Winnipeg Jets.
The Islanders had a quick start to the game on Monday afternoon. Mat Barzal found a nifty shot on Winnipeg goaltender, Eric Comrie, who had his first start of the season, and then a solid pass to Matthew Schaefer, who also produced a shot. The team’s movements looked calculated and snappy in the opening minutes of the game. Kyle Palmieri took a shot to the leg on a Winnipeg attack, but the block was representative of the team’s willingness to go all out this season. Schaefer then found his way back up the ice, showcasing his speed, but was unable to make much of the moment all alone. Anders Lee was assessed a two-minute minor for slashing, forcing the Islanders to face the best power play of last season.
Shortly after the penalty expired, J.G. Pageau fell in the Winnipeg zone, allowing Cole Koepke to rush up and send the puck to Morgan Barron for a nifty little backhand and the first goal of the game. Casey Cizikas, skating in his 900th career game (all of which have been with the Islanders), was sent to the box for a two-minute tripping minor. After three fantastic saves in a row, Ilya Sorokin was blindsided by a shot off his back from Nino Niederreiter, allowing the second goal of the afternoon for the Jets.
A strong rush up the ice presented Barzal with what would have been a prime opportunity. Instead, Koepke was handed a two-minute interference minor, sending the home team to the power play. The Islanders had the fifth best power play heading into Monday’s game, sitting at 33.3% effective. The Islanders were solid on the man advantage, but were unable to get one by Comrie.
Bo Horvat earned himself a strong chance glove side, but was tripped by Colin Miller. Winnipeg’s Barron was without a stick for much of the first minute of the power play. The Islanders found many passing lanes during the advantage, but struggled to get the puck on net. New York’s communication seemed to falter towards the end of the first period, with many missed connections and questionable pass attempts.
The Islanders were slow out of the gate to start the second period, allowing the Jets a decent bit of zone time. Following a second icing call against the Jets, a face-off win sent the puck to Tony DeAngelo. His shot from the point was tipped in by Pageau, cutting the Jets’ lead in half. Almost immediately after, Winnipeg found themselves in the Islanders’ zone, and with Scott Mayfield taking an early knee, Logan Stanley’s shot slipped through both his and Sorokin’s legs, giving the Jets their two-goal lead back.
A four-on-two up the ice for the Jets was foiled by Jonathan Drouin, who found himself back in the lineup after a one-game suspension he earned for cross-checking in the Islanders’ season opener. A two-minute tripping penalty on Stanley gave the Islanders yet another power play chance. The Islanders’ power play looked disjointed on Monday, struggling to produce many shots and finding passes tipped by the opposing team.
The Jets would hand the Islanders another opportunity: getting caught with too many men on the ice. A shorthanded chance by Mark Scheifele had Sorokin sprawling to make the save. Out of the box, Niederreiter rushed to Sorokin with the puck and was unsuccessful, but managed to swing the puck behind Sorokin, allowing Tanner Pearson to tap the puck into an empty net.
Shortly after, a bouncing puck in the neutral zone was settled by Drouin, who found the blade of Emil Heineman, scoring his first of the season and cutting the Winnipeg lead to two. A tough play in front of Sorokin sent Mayfield to the box for a cross-check. The Islanders found themselves spread out during the penalty kill, only managing to clear the puck 1:21 in. Sorokin deserved a pat on the back for his saves during the kill. Schaefer took a nasty stick to the face, courtesy of Scheifele. With four seconds left in the period, the Islanders could not manage a goal, but would start the third with the man advantage.
Even on the power play, the Islanders failed to produce many chances in the opening minutes of the third period. Maxim Tsyplakov seems to be struggling with reading the plays in the first few games of the season for the Islanders. The third period gave the Islanders a few chances with the puck, but the team just couldn’t find the back of the net. The Islanders kept finding themselves in the zone but without too much pressure.
Schaefer almost found the back of the net with just over five minutes remaining, but was thwarted by Comrie, with Pageau unable to find the rebound cleanly. With over four minutes remaining, Sorokin skated to the bench, giving the Islanders an extra attacker. Caught in their own end, the Islanders struggled with passing and left Scheifele to score the Jets’ fifth goal of the night, sending the fans out of UBS Arena with 2:24 remaining.
Head coach, Patrick Roy, also expressed confidence in his team following the loss. “The guys played with the urgency [he] was looking for” and “controlled the puck,” according to Roy. He loves the team’s resiliency and is hoping to bring that passion to the next matchup.
The Islanders have recorded over 30 shots in each game so far this season and feel confident that a game will end in their favor soon, according to Lee. New York will look to earn their first win on Thursday, October 16 at 7:30 p.m.
