For a few minutes, it looked like the New York Islanders would do the same thing they’ve done without fail throughout the season. It was 4-2 in the third period and a favorable bounce for the Columbus Blue Jackets allowed them to cut the lead to only one goal and make the Dec. 7 game look like another one where the Islanders would blow a lead. Then came the stomping. They scored three unanswered goals to close out a dominant 7-4 win.
Related: 4 Takeaways From Islanders’ 5-4 Loss vs Sharks
The Islanders are now 11-7-7 and the recent win catapults them into third place in the Metropolitan Division. The Blue Jackets are a team they needed to beat and unlike the San Jose Sharks on Dec. 5, who they lost to 5-4 in overtime, they took care of business against the Metropolitan Division opponent. It’s not only an impressive win but noteworthy to look at how the Islanders played in the victory, especially with their impressive showing in the third period.
Islanders Keep Their Foot on the Gas
The collapses in the third period have been the theme of the season for the Islanders. The early goal by the Blue Jackets sounded off the alarm and had many anticipating another collapse. For head coach Lane Lambert and the veteran-heavy roster, it forced them to flip a switch and change how they played for the rest of the period.
Instead of sitting back and allowing the defense to close things out, the Islanders started to apply pressure to the Blue Jackets in the offensive zone and force turnovers with their forecheck. This allowed them to control the puck and prevent the opposition from finding scoring chances the other way. Trapped in their zone, the Blue Jackets couldn’t create any offense and the clock continued to wind down.
Eventually, the relentless pressure paid off. The Islanders scored to give themselves a two-goal cushion and then another two quick goals put the game away as they built up a commanding 7-3 lead. The Islanders have blown plenty of late-game leads but this game was theirs at the end and the recipe for success was to keep the puck in the offensive zone and continuously apply pressure.
Barzal & Horvat Lead The Offense
The two top-line skaters had themselves a night. Early on, it looked like it would be the Mathew Barzal show, who despite missing the Dec. 2 win over the Florida Panthers has been one of the top players in the NHL recently. He scored in the second period as he collected the puck off a Scott Mayfield shot and quickly fired it to the back of the net. To start the scoring in the third period, he found an open shot in the high slot and zipped the puck into the goal for his second of the game.
Then Bo Horvat burst onto the scene with a three-point third period. He assisted on Barzal’s goal with a backhanded pass and then scored an impressive unassisted goal where he flipped the puck on the net, collected the rebound, skated around the net, and backhanded the puck to the goal. To top off the impressed goal, he scored seconds later off a centering pass from Barzal to give the Islanders their third goal of the period and their seventh of the game.
At the end of the game, Barzal and Horvat combined for four goals and three assists to lead the Islanders to a dominant win. The two skaters have led the offense all season and have formed a strong connection as two of the team’s top scorers and playmakers and the recent game was a reminder of how dynamic they have been when playing alongside each other.
Islanders’ Second Line Provided Much-Needed Spark
The Barzal-Horvat combination has led the Islanders with a combined 18 goals and 32 assists but the depth has struggled. It’s been an issue that has prevented the offense from being one of the best in the league and taking over games. Against the Blue Jackets, the Brock Nelson-led line played a big role in the 7-3 win.
Nelson, who leads the Islanders’ second line with a team-leading 11 goals, only added one assist in the game. However, Pierre Engvall, who was brought in during the trade deadline last season to be a scorer found the back of the net in the first period for his fourth goal of the season. Likewise, Kyle Palmieri scored his team-high fourth power play goal which capped off the second period on a high note.
Both Engvall and Palmieri have been inconsistent and it’s caused the offense to fall apart at times. At the moment, both skaters are playing at a high level and it’s helping turn the offense into one of the best in the game.
Fasching Finally Makes an Offensive Impact
Hudson Fasching’s centering pass to Cal Clutterbuck was a remarkable play that allowed the veteran winger to easily find the back of the net. The goal flipped the momentum as the Islanders tied things up 2-2 and went on to score the next two goals and five of the next six in the game. Fasching, who signed a two-year contract this offseason, has been a disappointment on the offensive end of the ice with only one goal and two assists. However, with Matt Martin out of the lineup, he can find a consistent role on the fourth line and start to make an impact on the offensive end of the ice.
Other Takeaways From The Islanders’ Win
- Semyon Varlamov allowed three goals but had a respectable night in the net with a 32-save performance. With multiple strong starts for him this season, the question is why he isn’t starting more games for the Islanders as he can split starts with Ilya Sorokin and allow the team to surge in the standings.
- Four of the six defensemen had an assist in the game, a promising sign for the unit which looks to continue opening up the offense.
- This game had three players on hat trick watch late in the third period. Barzal and Horvat had two goals each but Blue Jackets rookie Adam Fantilli also had two goals and a hat trick would be a defining moment early on in his career. But alas, none of the three skaters managed to net a third goal.
What’s Next For The Islanders
The Islanders host the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday night at UBS Arena. The Kings are not only one of the best teams in the NHL this season but just set the record for the most road victories in a row to begin a season with 11 consecutive road wins.
The Islanders didn’t start their six-game homestand on the right foot, especially after the collapse to the Sharks. That said, they managed to earn three points, albeit, against two of the worst teams in the league. Now come the real tests of the homestand, starting with the Kings, who have yet to lose a game on the road this season.
