Islanders 4*, Canadiens 3 (*SO): Isles make it difficult but win game, lose Duclair

It started so well, but finished as a nail biter, with Anthony Duclair a non-contact casualty.

The Islanders got two points from a “schedule win” meeting on the calendar with the young and loose Montreal Canadiens, but they did it the hard way, coughing up a 2-0 lead as well as a late 3-2 lead before finally prevailing in a lengthy shootout on Long Island, 4-3.

Noah Dobson got the winning non-goal tally in the shootout’s ninth round, after neither team converted in the required first three rounds. The Isles sent a random list of players, while the Habs threw a kitchen sink of youngsters to test old man Semyon Varlamov.

There is more damage than the extra man-hours consumed, however: Anthony Duclair left the game with what looked like a groin or abdominal injury. No immediate update on his condition, understandably, but at first sight it looked like something that will cause him to miss games.

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First Period: Great start, but left wanting

The Islanders had a strong first period that they’ll regret not getting more from. Highlights included a 2:36 stretch where they netted two goals and appeared on their way to Saturday night special. Lowlights included a late penalty that proved costly.

It took them till 14:32 to get on the board, with their first power play goal since their first opportunity of the season on opening night. Mat Barzal fought hard to retain possession in the corner and moved the puck nimbly after a retrieval to feed Bo Horvat for a one-timer from the high slot that made it 1-0.

A couple minutes later, Noah Dobson looked off his forechecker and sent Kyle Palmieri breaking over the Habs line for a two-on-one. Palmieri kept the puck and sniped the top far corner to make it 2-0.

The Islanders were on their way, and Canadiens backup Cayden Primeau — who was singed for six goals in his previous start — seemed ready to play the necessary role.

It looked like the Isles would coast into the first intermission with a nice 2-0 lead before Max Tsyplakov took a careless and frankly unnecessary high-sticking penalty — the third minor of his young NHL career — with just over eight seconds left. The puck was near the Canadiens blueline, and Tsyplakov tried to lift Emil Heineman’s stick but missed, clipping him in the face instead.

Butch Goring, Thomas Hickey and Brendan Burke mused at the poor timing and location of the penalty 150 feet from their net with time winding down — and how the Canadiens would have almost two minutes of fresh ice to work their power play.

Alas, the Habs wouldn’t need that ice, as they scored off the ensuing faceoff. Cole “Don’t Call Me Holden” Caufield one-timed from a bad angle, missed and hit Ryan Pulock instead, but the rebound came right back to him, and he sniped with his second chance before holstering his stick (and dropping it outright) in a premature display of showmanship. Ah, the kids these days.

So instead of taking a 2-0 lead in as reward for a good first period, the margin was just one goal.

Second Period: Trying to throw it all away

And it took just under a minute into the second for the Canadiens to eliminate that reduced margin. Kyle Palmieri made a puzzling play in the neutral zone, failing to dump it in and keeping it along the boards only to lose it. The Habs rushed in odd-man and nearly scored on a nice passing play. With all the Isles hustling back to cover that mistake, Logan Mailloux was left wide open in the slot to, yes, bury his first NHL goal to tie it at 2-2.

The Islanders had an impressive stretch of sustained possession in the Canadiens zone when Oliver Kapanen lost his stick. The Isles’ top line with Barzal and Horvat kept possession, moving around the zone and exchanging the puck with Noah Dobson and Alex Romanov. It was the longest sequence like this I can remember seeing — a four-minute shift for Mailloux — but they never really created a golden opportunity. It ended with a desperate Canadiens clear and then a 4-on-3 Habs rush that could’ve become a real kick to the stomach. (It also would’ve been his sixth goal of the season, but no worry…that would come later.)

With his stick back in its holster, Caufield also had a golden chance on a breakaway but Semyon Varlamov stayed with him and stopped the deke with his leg pad sealed to the ice.

The Isles received a late power play but it was a familiar story: retained possession, didn’t threaten much, put no shots on goal, left the goalie with an easy job.

Third Period: Strong showing, but another blown lead

Bad news welcomed the Isles to open the third period. They had another power play, which amounted to jack squat. Worse, Anthony Duclair injured himself on a routine entry with what looked to us outside observers like some kind of groin or abdominal strain. He froze his leg, dished the puck off and fell to the ice, stiff. He was helped off the ice, but that looks like what will be a nagging injury.

A few minutes later the Islanders received another power play, and — ahh, you know the drill — it was the same old thing, although they added an odd-man shorthanded rush that would’ve been a backbreaker. Varlamov stood strong, however.

After that power play “opportunity” expired, Horvat and Simon Holmstrom nearly connected on a rush and pass to the top of the Habs crease, but Holmstrom’s redirect skittered wide. Barzal also set up Horvat for a dangerous low-angle one-timer, but Primeau was there.

With seven minutes left the Isles got yet another power play, and this one did have some dangerous looks but the result was once again the same.

With 4:36 left the Islanders finally broke through. It started innocently enough, with an aerial flip pass from the Isles zone by Adam Pelech. Anders Lee set a pick at the offensive blueline while J-G Pageau retrieved the puck and went in to send a shot from the left wing. Lee was driving the net and beat his man for the rebound, shoving it home for a 3-2 lead.

Yeah, but that wouldn’t be the winner. The Isles let the young Habs run around stress-free and Caufield got his sixth by curling in the Isles zone and sending a shot that slipped past Varlamov after going through a joint Brock Nelson-Adam Pelech screen.

This one would take extra time.

Overtime: Another chance for the power play to do nothing

Kyle Palmieri rushed around Kirby Dach to get a chance all alone on Primeau but was high sticked at the top of the crease. Though Palmieri did not get a shot off from this clear, point-blank scoring chance, he was not awarded a penalty shot.

The ensuing 4-on-3 power play was pretty good, and the Isles’ top guns wore the Habs out pretty well. But Noah Dobson’s slot chance hit the post, and Horvat’s one-timers were close but stopped.

Shootout: Why are we still doing this?

1. The Isles elected to shoot first in the shootout and Barzal took it, making a good move on Primeau but hitting the post. Varlamov matched that result by stopping Caufield’s moves.
2. Tsyplakov got his first shootout attempt and made a nice backhand move but was stopped by Primeau. Varlamov then poke checked Nick Suzuki.
3. Horvat’s stutter-stop move was stopped by Primeau, leaving it up to Varlamov to keep the game alive, stopping someone named Lane Hutson.
4. Palmieri made a nice hold-up move and beat Primeau upstairs over his far shoulder, but Kapanen equaled the effort with a shot from the low slot.
5. Holmstrom used his extendo-reach stick to make a forehand move around Primeau and put the Isles up again, but Heineman labeled the top corner to equalize again.
6. Pageau went for a similar attempt to Palmieri, but it wasn’t as high and Primeau blocked it. Alex Newhook was unable to beat Varly with a straight-on shot though.
7. Brock Nelson was the third Islander in a row to attempt to beat Primeau high blocker, but his low attempt was stopped. Mike Matheson made a slow-approach forehand move and lost the handle.
8. Alex Romanov faced his former team and shot harmlessly from the slot, no problem for Primeau. Top pick Juraj Slafkovsky then went in fast on Varly, who matched him move for move.
9. Dobson came across on the forehand and beat Primeau low to the glove side. Mailloux shot wide, allowing Varlamov a hard-earned win.

Up Next

The Isles homestand continues on Tuesday night when the Red Wings are in town.