The New York Islanders and Ottawa Senators played a bizarre and unusual game on Thursday, Oct. 26, and that’s putting it lightly. The two teams combined for 36 penalty minutes and 85 shots on the net. In the second period, Cal Clutterbuck delivered a hit on defenseman Erik Brannstrom, sending the young skater to the ice and forcing the medical staff to carry him out on a stretcher. Fortunately, the hit didn’t lead to any serious injuries for Brannstrom but the sequence had UBS Arena silent.
The Islanders came out on top in a game where both teams were desperate for a win, sneaking away with a 3-2 victory over the Senators. Both teams entered the game on losing streaks and the Islanders ended up bouncing back, led by their best player.
Sorokin’s Strong Performance
Ilya Sorokin entered the game against the Senators with an urge to put together a bounce-back performance. He allowed five goals against the New Jersey Devils on Oct. 20, a game the Islanders lost 5-4 in overtime, and against the Colorado Avalanche, he allowed five goals as the team was easily defeated 7-4. Sorokin is one of the elite goaltenders in the league and it’s embarrassing for him to allow five goals in consecutive starts, making the recent game a crucial one for him.
He was far and beyond the best player on the ice for the Islanders. Sorokin stopped 45 of the 47 shots he faced and all but eliminated a Senators offense that entered the game averaging 4.17 goals per game. The Senators scored twice but were only able to find the back of the net when they generated shots through traffic that Sorokin couldn’t pick up. Their potent offense created plenty of scoring chances but in the end, looked hapless against one of the elite goaltenders in the NHL.
Related: 4 Takeaways From Islanders’ 7-4 Loss vs Avalanche
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This game was another example of why the Islanders have a high floor. They didn’t play their best game and on the contrary, looked poised to lose as they were outplayed by the opposition. Yet, they managed to come away with a victory on the backs of a great performance by Sorokin. The roster will have bad games like the recent one but time and time again, Sorokin will bail them out and keep this team competitive throughout the season.
Dobson Leads The Defense
At this point, Noah Dobson has established himself as the Islanders’ top-pair defenseman, and the recent game removed any doubt. He led all Islanders with a career-high 27:42 of ice time and was the top contributor in all three zones. With Scott Mayfield out of the lineup for multiple weeks, the Islanders need one of their younger defensemen to step up and play a greater role. Dobson not only has done that but is putting together some of the best games of his career.
Along with leading the defensemen in ice time, he also generated five shots on goal to lead the unit and was once again, the best skater at the point. He assisted the Islanders’ first goal and late in the game, found the back of the net to secure the 3-2 victory. His goal came after he failed to score on a key opportunity as Senators goaltender Joonas Korpisalo was the only one in his path but seconds later, Mathew Barzal found him open and he took advantage.
Six games into the season, Dobson has two goals and six assists, which give him the most points on the Islanders roster. Aside from his offensive contributions, he’s making a significant impact on the defensive end of the ice and starting to take on a greater role on the unit as well. The recent game was a reminder that he is becoming the team’s top defenseman and one of the more impactful players.
Penalties Nearly Cost The Islanders The Game
The Islanders haven’t been the same disciplined team that they were under Barry Trotz as they play a more aggressive style under head coach Lane Lambert. However, this game was one of their least disciplined ones in years.
The Islanders committed eight penalties with six of them coming in the second period. They had a comfortable 2-0 lead but opened the door for the Senators to crawl back into the game. Halfway through the second period, the Senators started to take advantage of the surplus of power play opportunities as Claude Giroux found the back of the net followed by a Jakob Chychrun goal to tie up the game. The Islanders entered the third period not only with a skater in the penalty box but with no momentum.
They were fortunate to come away with a victory. However, the sloppy play and lack of discipline could have easily been their downfall. Against the Devils, they committed five penalties and allowed the opposition to score four times to lose the game 5-4 in overtime. Against the Senators, they got lucky but throughout the season, the undisciplined play will hurt them and result in multiple losses.
Fourth Line Wills Islanders To Victory
The Islanders’ fourth line is entering its twilight years. Clutterbuck, Casey Cizikas, and Matt Martin are all in their 30s and could be playing their final season together. The past few games, especially the one against the Senators, saw the trio of skaters turn back the clock and both set the tone in the game while also fueling the victory.
With a 1-0 lead in the first period, the checking forwards sent the puck down the ice as part of their vintage chip and chase. Cizikas forced a turnover behind the net in the offensive zone and Clutterbuck, skating at full speed to the net, collected a centering pass and slipped it to the back of the net. Clutterbuck is the oldest skater on the Islanders but has also been one of the best scorers in recent games, with a goal in the 7-4 loss to the Avalanche and a goal in the win over the Senators.
To close out the game, the Islanders sent out their fourth line mixed in with the best defensive forwards, specifically, Bo Horvat and Jean-Gabriel Pageau. With the team holding on to a 3-2 lead, they continued to keep the puck in the offensive zone and kill the clock, culminating in a remarkable shift in the final minute where Cizikas possessed the puck along the boards. The fourth line won’t be the Islanders’ best one this season but in the right situations, they are the ideal skaters to secure a victory. Whenever the team has a one-goal lead with five minutes to spare, they can step up and use their checking and defensive presence to close out games.
Other Takeaways From The Islanders Win
- Horvat scored on the power play as he gathered a loose puck in the slot and fired it into the back of the net. The goal was Horvat’s third of the season but more importantly, his first on the power play and could be a sign of big things ahead for the top-line center.
- The Islanders needed a bounce-back performance but for the Senators, this loss was a gut punch for a team that has dealt with a lot in the past 24 hours. On Thursday morning, Shane Pinto, a young middle-six center who was holding out in hopes of a new contract, was suspended 41 games for his involvement in gambling. During the game, Brannstrom took the big hit and the team will likely be without one of their promising young defensemen for significant time. On top of all that, they lost 3-2 and with three losses in a row, fell to 3-4 on the season.
What’s Next For The Islanders?
After back-to-back home games, the Islanders will head back on the road to face the Columbus Blue Jackets, who are coming off a 4-3 overtime loss to the Montreal Canadiens. The Blue Jackets are often seen as one of the worst teams in the Metropolitan Division but they have been competitive to start the season, with a 3-2-2 record and they will be a tough test for the Islanders.
The Islanders have only played one road game so far this season, the Oct. 21 3-1 loss to the Buffalo Sabres. They are looking for their first road win of the season and the best way to earn that win would be to do so against a divisional rival.
