Islanders 3, Lightning 2 (OT): DeAngelo, Boqvist get first goals as streak hits 7

The blueline took yet another injury hit, but the newest additions keep the win streak alive.

The New York Islanders extended their improbable win streak to seven games and their hot January into a new month with a 3-2 overtime victory over the Lightning in Tampa.

It was a strong performance and well-earned two points, marked by goals from two of their newest defensemen but also a couple more injuries that may test their depth when this Florida swing continues tomorrow.

Tony DeAngelo scored the OT winner for his first Islanders goal, while fellow blueliner Adam Boqvist (wearing #34) also scored in his debut. But they lost yet another defenseman as Scott Mayfield left the ice late in the second period after an awkward crash into the boards, and Mat Barzal left the ice late in the third and was not available for overtime.

With the blueline tested, Alex Romanov was great in logging 31:40, while DeAngelo was next with 26:40 of TOI.

[NHL Gamecenter | Game Summary | Event Summary | Natural Stat Trick]

The Isles got out to a slow, sloppy start, but Ilya Sorokin continued his fine run of form and kept things scoreless through the first half of the opening period. Then the Islanders found their footing and started getting chances — as the MSG team said, it ended up being a really entertaining first period (despite no goals) but one that would give both coaches fits for the amount of opportunities conceded.

A late penalty by Adam Pelech carried over 90 seconds into the second period, but the Isles resumed their recently competent penalty killing to finish that off.

Despite some pretty good play in the period for the Isles, the Lightning opened scoring at 5:39 off a brilliant deflection by Jake Guentzel, who snuck around from behind the net to ramp Erik Cernak’s point shot up into the roof of the net.

However, the PK kept it up, killing a high-sticking by Mat Barzal and then a too many men penalty where Sorokin made a series of great saves before J-G Pageau made a critical block in front of a gaping net to save a goal.

The Islanders were putting together a good first 40 minutes, the problems came in the finishing. The Isles looked like they were trying to be too fine with their shots, perhaps intimidated by the amount of space taken up by Andrei Vasilevskiy. Chance after chance was fired wide of the post by guys like Barzal and Bo Horvat.

But late in a period where they outshot the Lightning 17-9, the Isles were finally rewarded as another Barzal chance stopped led to Boqvist’s big debut moment to tie it 1-1 at 18:16.

Boqvist actually started the play in front of the Isles note with a stick lift that prevented Conor Geekie from getting a dangerous redirection. Pageau picked up the loose puck and found Simon Holmstrom inside the Isles bluelien. He banked the puck up ice to give Barzal a breakaway. Barzal’s low shot was stopped and he overskated the rebound, but his pursuer, Cernak — who had fallen at the blueline to allow Barzal to walk in alone — was caught unawares by Boqvist, who had jumped up to follow the play and lift the rebound upstairs.

The Islanders finally received their first power play five minutes into the third period, when Zemgus Girgensons used his leg to trip Pageau, but the power play was sloppy and even almost allowed some dangerous shorthanded chances.

But after the power play, the Isles picked up where they left off with some strong play and took a 2-1 lead at 6:41.

Boqvist was a factor again, when he ringed the puck around the boards in the Tampa zone and helped keep it alive as the Isles completed a change. He didn’t get a second assist on the play, but Boqvist helped allow Max Tsyplakov to pick up the puck, which he took behind the net before serving up Kyle Palmieri on a tee from the right wing circle.

As the Isles held on through some long shifts in their zone, they got some big saves from Sorokin and key shot blocks, including one from Alex Romanov after his stick broke on a shot block.

Marc Gatcomb nearly got the Isles in trouble when he boarded Guentzel from the blind side, but Cam Atkinson jumped him, leading to the rookie’s first NHL fight and an off-setting minor.

The Lightning pulled Vasilevskiy for a sixth attacker with just under three minutes left and immediately started getting chances and eliciting more acrobatics from Sorokin. With 1:20 left they took a timeout while Barzal hobbled off to the dressing room after a shot off the leg. It felt like it was just a matter of time before the equalizer came.

Sure enough, they allowed Nikita Kucherov yet another open look from the right wing, and his shot went through traffic and off Romanov’s pants to beat Sorokin just inside the near post.

Frustratingly, the Isles played the final 45 seconds as if they were still protecting a lead, giving the Lightning uncomfortable looks at a potential late backbreaker. But they made it to OT.

After the OT-opening faceoff was redone because Kucherov jumped the gun, the Isles ended up holding possession for all 33 seconds of overtime. Bo Horat was pursued vigorously all the way back to behind his own goal, but he caught the Lightning sleeping and found DeAngelo on the change all the way at the Lightning blueline. DeAngelo walked in and ripped inside the far post to seal the game.

It was a great, heads-up play by both players:

Up Next

The back-to-back suddenly looks less intimidating after securing two points in Tampa, but we’ll see what health they’re in as they meet the Panthers on Sunday. Mayfield and Barzal both look to be in question based on their not finishing this one, but at least Adam Pelech, who also took some painful shot blocks, was able to finish the game and OT.