Bruins 6 (EN), Islanders 3: It is what it is.

The record keeps on skipping: the Isles played a good first 40 minutes before letting it all slip away in the third.

All of us who jot down words about the Islanders are tired of writing varations of this script, like a movie franchise on its dull fifth sequel. But yeah: The Islanders played a decent game for 50 minutes on Wednesday night, reaching that point in the game with a tie score, before things somehow crumbled before them.

This time the final score was 6-3, wasting a couple more highlight goals from Brock Nelson, who tied it with an epic team goal 8 seconds before the second intermission. The Bruins’ go-ahead goal in the third was definitely preventable, and the backbreaking insurance goal was a broken play with some bad luck involved. But the result is the same, another regulation outcome that was lost in the third period.

It’s probably not (just) psychological, it’s not all a lack of talent or the injuries, it’s definitely not just bad luck. It’s just…it’s how it’s going. And it sucks, leaving the Isles with the fourth-worst points percentage in the conference.

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First Period

The Islanders’ “at least we lead in faceoffs!” was not helping them in the opening period. Casey Cizikas lost a draw clean to Elias Lindholm, that allowed “I learned to stop licking strangers at 32” Brad Marchand to rip a one-timer to put the Bruins on the board just 57 seconds into the game.

Five minutes later, that dirtbag scored again. This time it was a cascade of clumsiness. The Bruins had a nice transition up ice from their own zone, but Dennis Cholowski whiffed on his man, then Scott Mayfield locked legs with Justin Brazeau, sending Mayfield spinning into Ilya Sorokin. That left an easy scoop for Marchand to make it 2-0.

But amid all their flaws and self-inflicted wounds, this team does not pack it in when down. Six minutes after Marchand’s second, Max Tsyplakov got the Isles on the board, finally notching his third goal of the season.

It was in no way a sexy one, but it resulted from him going to the right spot and somehow his shoveling shot skittered through Joonas Korpisalo.

That’s how things stood till the first intermission and well into the second period.

Second Period

The Islanders finally tied it at 8:52, off the lethal stick of Brock Nelson. For his 9th goal of the season, Nelson took advantage of a bouncing puck that Mason Lohrei couldn’t handle outside the Bruins blueline, and he sprinted down the right wing and ripped it high, near-side.

That didn’t last very long though, as the Bruins had the Isles running crosswise in their own zone, leaving Morgan Geekie a wide open net to finish a one-timer off a feed from Pavel Zacha.

An impressive shift with sustained pressure and keep-ins set up a late equalizer, again from Nelson, and again with another wicked shot inside the post. But it was great work all around.

Ryan Pulock stopped a weak clear with his skate, then showed patience to draw Bruins into stasis before moving the puck to Isaiah George on the right wing. George put it down low in the corner to Bo Horvat, who glided back up the board before sending it to Nelson, who had taken his spot in the corner. Nelson rotated and got it back to Horvat, who fed Pulock again, who sent it to Nelson — by now on the opposite side of the zone.

To cap off the play, Nelson accepted that pass with his right skate, directed it up to his stick, waited around a screen and sent it inside the post with just eight seconds left on the clock. If a team could deserve a better fate based on one goal alone, that was it. But at minimum, it sent the game to the third period tied 3-3.

Third Period

The Isles came out well in the third, creating some moments of pressure and looking like they had the appetite to go out and win the game rather than stare at an inevitable collapse. But they weren’t rewarded for that, and another banner moment for the third pairing saw the Bruins take the lead yet again at 10:48.

A shot from the point was redirected by Zacha, who was pushed but not covered by Chelowski, while Mayfield hit the deck in front of Sorokin.

Less than three minutes later, it was a two-goal lead, again through Zacha. David Pastrnak lifted Alex Romanov’s stick to steal a loose puck behind the net and immediately send it out front. It didn’t go where Pastrnak intended, instead bouncing off Noah Dobson’s skate and going perfectly to Zacha to backhand it home.

With six minutes to go, it was somehow 5-3 and the depression filled the building like a heavy fog.

Patrick Roy pulled Sorokin for a sixth attacker with over four minutes to go and after the Bruins were called for the only penalty of the night, but you know… The power play did nothing, and then the Bruins put one in the empty net with 2:02 to go for the final score of 6-3. Ye gods.

Quote of the Night

“Get it to the front of the net and then play what I call the whack-whack game.”

>>Butch Goring, describing his recommended 6-on-4 philosophy

Up Next

The Islanders have a tough one next, heading to D.C. for an afternoon game on Friday against the Capitals.