Power play woes and defensive breakdowns cost the Islanders a crucial win. Special teams proved the ultimate undoing against the Bruins.
The New York Islanders blew a 2-0 lead for a second straight game, falling 5-2 to the Boston Bruins on Tuesday night, a team that was on the second of a back-to-back.
While you can point to many reasons why the Islanders weren’t able to hold onto their lead — a lack of forechecking, a lack of defensive structure in that middle period — their failures on special teams were incredibly costly.
The Islanders went 0-for-5 on their power plays, one of which was a double-minor, failing to score on their 15 shots.
They did score on a delayed penalty. They also allowed a 6-on-5 empty-net goal.
On the flip side, Boston went 2-for-4 on the power play, scoring twice on six shots, and that was the difference.
The Islanders have now scored just two power-play goals over their last five games, both coming in a 4-3 win against the San Jose Sharks last Monday.
The penalty kill has now allowed a power-play goal in three straight games, and Sorokin has played a part in that.
Last season, the Islanders’ power play and penalty kill both ranked 31st in the NHL.
After firing John MacLean and Tommy Albelin, the Islanders hoped that Rick Bennett and Bob Boughner would help turn the tide.
Based on the eye test, it hasn’t looked nearly as bad as it did a year ago. The power play has looked more lethal and the penalty kill more structured, but this is a results-driven business.
If the Islanders want to give themselves any shot at making the playoffs this season, their special teams can’t continue to be their Achilles’ heel.
They will have a day off before a back-to-back against the Carolina Hurricanes and Washington Capitals on Thursday and Friday.