Special teams falter as Red Wings' power play strikes twice, snapping the Islanders' win streak in a tight 3-2 contest.
The New York Islanders saw their three-game winning streak snapped on Tuesday night, falling 3-2 to the Detroit Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena.
The offense wasn't there and the penalty kill struggled, going 0-for-2 on the night.
Goaltender Ilya Sorokin made 18 saves.
Here's how the game unfolded:
The Islanders got off to an early start.
Emil Heineman, who was skating in his 100th career NHL game, sent a one-timer over John Gibson's glove at 4:27 of the first period to give the Islanders a 1-0 lead
His 11th goal of a season set a new career-high. On the goal, Mathew Barzal earned the primary assist, extending his point streak to five games (four goals, one assist).
The Islanders did allow one dominant shift to the Alex DeBrincat line with the Ritchie line and the Travis Mitchell-Scott Mayfield pairing on the ice. But they survived, in large part due to Sorokin's positioning and anticipation.
The second period was one where the Islanders dominanted most of the posession but the Red Wings got their looks. But, when the team was in need of a big save, Sorokin came up large.
The stat sheet said he made five saves in that period, but it seemed like much more.
The Islanders are back in action on Friday night against the Vancouver Canucks at UBS Arena before they travel to Western New York to battle the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday.
The Red Wings tied the game at 1-1 just 2:03 into the third after Axel Sandin-Pelikka beat Sorokin short side off a defensive-zone breakdown:
Then, just 1:52 later, Alex DeBrincat sniped on the power play to give the Red Wings a 2-1 lead at 3:55 of the third:
With the Islanders in need of a goal, Scott Mayfield delivered. He joined the rush and beat Gibson stick side off a Jean-Gabriel Pageau feed at 11:26 of the third period:
That was his first goal in 37 games dating back to last season.
Unfortunately for the Islanders, they allowed the go-ahead goal with just 2:17 to play in the third, with DeBrincat scoring his second power-play goal of the game.
After a failed clear, Pulock blocked a DeBrincat one-timer, but the puck went right back to the cat, who beat Sorokin for the game-winner.
The Islanders host the Vancouver Canucks on Friday at 7 PM ET before a quick turnaround agains the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday.