The New York Islanders fell to the Colorado Avalanche 7-4 Tuesday night. Mikko Rantanen collected three points, including the game-winning goal in the third period, while Ryan Johansen added two goals. Ilya Sorokin faced 40 shots and was sensational despite allowing 5 goals.

ELMONT, NY – The New York Islanders were defeated by the Colorado Avalanche 7-4 in a back-and-forth game Tuesday night.

Mikko Rantanen had three points, including the game-winning goal in the third period. Ryan Johansen had two goals, one of which was an empty-netter in the game's final minutes.

Ilya Sorokin was sensational even with giving up 5 goals, but had to face 40 Avalanche shots. Alexander Georgiev stopped 28 of 32 Islander shots.

2:56 into the second period Kyle Palmieri tied the game at two with a power-play goal. No. 21 received a pass down low from Matthew Barzal and slipped it five-hole. The Islanders continued to be aggressive on the forecheck as Clutterbuck fed Simon Holmstrom in the low slot. Holmstrom sniped it past Georgiev high for his first goal of the year to give the Islanders their first lead of the night, 3-2 at that point.

This was a game the Islanders definitely could have won. Colorado scored two goals in the final minute of the second period, going up 4-3 before the intermission. The Islanders outplayed the Avalanche for most of the second period, scoring two goals, but a bad power play where Colorado controlled the puck shorthanded shifted the momentum to the Avalanche -- then they scored twice.

The two Avalanche second-period goals were scored by Bowen Byram, who scored with 42 seconds left, and Nathan MacKinnon, scoring with 29 seconds left. Both goals were assisted by Valeri Nichushkin

In the first 9 minutes, Colorado had 10 shots on net compared to one by the Islanders. However, at the 10:03 mark of the first, JG Pageau dug the puck out of the corner and hit Noah Dobson at the point. Cal Clutterbuck deflected it home for a goal.

The Avalanche recorded 17 shots in the first period versus the Islanders six.

Cale Makar made a terrific individual move entering the zone and backhanded it high past Sorokin to give back a one-goal lead to the Avalanche in the first period. Makar finished the game with a goal and two assists.

It was all Anders Lee when the Islanders tied the game up at four. Lee got up from a battle, stole the puck, walked into the slot untouched, and ripped a shot past the glove of Georgiev.

UP NEXT: The Islanders host the Ottawa Senators at UBS Arena with puck drop at 7:30 PM. 

LINES:

Anders Lee - Bo Horvat - Mathew Barzal

Pierre Engvall - Brock Nelson - Kyle Palmieri

Simon Holmstrom - Jean-Gabriel Pageau - Oliver Wahlstrom

Matt Martin - Casey Cizikas - Cal Clutterbuck

Adam Pelech - Noah Dobson

Alexander Romanov - Ryan Pulock

Samuel Bolduc - Sebastian Aho

Ilya Sorokin

Semyon Varlamov