Good Morning, Islanders Country.
They did it. Again. Three third-period comebacks. 11 days. Wow.
If the win against the Avalanche surprised you and the win versus the Flames amazed you, last night’s victory against the Rangers shouldn’t have shocked you. but it likely did. Be honest, while you sat at home and quipped, “we got ‘em just where we want them,” deep down, you didn’t imagine it would happen again.
"I just I think our guys have a lot of heart, they believe and they don't quit." - Lane Lambert
Not on the second night of a back-to-back, not against the reigning Vezina Trophy winner, and not on the road without the full backing of Isles fans. But they did. They continued their third-period dominance, now outscoring opponents 25-11 in the final 20 minutes. You don’t want to make falling behind the norm, but making comebacks a new normal, has its benefits.
Coming up, Lane Lambert shakes up the lines in Clutterbuck’s absence, and Worcester is white hot. Plus, the latest ‘Never Say Dielanders” comeback is a franchise first, and Ryan Whitney tells why Ilya > Igor.
Let’s dive in.
🏒 IN SHORT: For the second consecutive night, the New York Islanders rallied from down two goals in the third period, this time stunning the New York Rangers 4-3 at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night. Adam Pelech scored just 14 seconds into the third period to pull within one, and Brock Nelson scored on the power-play to tie the game at 12:46. The Isles took the lead on an Anders Lee goal at 14:30 and held on for the win.
Semyon Varlamov made 37 saves, though his MSG shutout streak ended at 251:36, and Kyle Palmieri had a goal for the Isles (9-5-0), who have won seven of eight. Igor Shesterkin had 22 saves for the Rangers (6-5-3), who received goals from Vincent Trocheck, Chris Kreider, and Filip Chytil.
KEY MOMENT(s):
🔷 14 seconds into the third period, the Isles grabbed momentum on an Adam Pelech shot from the high slot to trim the lead to 3-2. It was the first goal of the season for the All-Star Islanders defenseman.
🔶 The Islanders scored their second power-play goal of the night at 12:46 to tie the game on Brock Nelson’s one-timer off a feed from Noah Dobson.
🔷 After a controversial no-call on an Oliver Wahlstrom trip, Alexander Romanov was able to keep the puck in the zone and send it to the front of the net where Lee stopped it and stuffed it in past Shesterkin for the lead.
3 REACTIONS
❶ MEANS A LOT: "This is a big game. For both sides, it's a division game. It's a rivalry game, it means a lot to both sides of fans. And it's one you'd like to be on the right side of.” - Anders Lee
❷ START TO BELIEVE: "When you get that one, you definitely start to believe a little bit more, and now you almost have a full period." - Brock Nelson
❸ AN OPPORTUNITY: "This group has been through a lot and so a two-goal deficit going into the third, [there's] nothing to lose, but an opportunity to have a great 20 minutes. We'll take that." - Anders Lee
⏭ NEXT UP: The Islanders return to action and home ice on Thursday night when they host the Arizona Coyotes. Face-off is set for 7:30 PM.
📊 STANDINGS:
📰 NEWS: After leaving Monday’s game in the first period, Cal Clutterbuck was out of the lineup on Tuesday, resulting in a few line changes.
Most notably, Oliver Wahlstrom was demoted from playing with Mathew Barzal to taking Clutterbuck’s spot on the fourth line, while the speedy Nikita Soshnikov was placed on Barzal’s wing opposite Anders Lee. “I’d have to say that he’s done the little things,” Lambert said of Wahlstrom ahead of the game. “He’s done the details. I’d like to see him get more shots on goal.”
🚂 CHOO-CHOO: The Bridgeport Islanders aren’t the only Islanders affiliate off to a good start this season. The ECHL Worcester Railers are a whopping 9-0-0 to start the season, breaking the ECHL record for the best start to a season in the league’s history. Islander prospect Collin Adams is leading the way for the Railers, scoring five goals and 10 points in nine games so far this season. goaltenders Kenn Appleby and Henrik Tikkanen are holding things down in the crease with a combined 2.29 GAA and .921 SV%.
💪 CLUTCH: Noah Dobson’s overtime goal against the Flames on Monday night tied him with Thomas Hickey for the most game-winning goals by a defenseman in franchise history. The 22-year-old is now just one goal shy of tying Ryan Pulock as he continues to climb the ladder. Something tells us he’ll be near the top of this list by the end of his career.
📚 SOUND SMART: Should we call them the Never Say Dielanders?
Per Eric Hornick in The Skinny, Tuesday was the second straight game the Isles trailed by two goals going to the third period and won the game. It is the first time in team history that this has happened.
The Isles are the 4th team in NHL history to record third-period multi-goal comebacks on consecutive days. Carolina did it twice (October 2005 and December 2010), while Detroit did it in November 2018.
🗓 ON THIS DATE IN ISLANDERS HISTORY: On November 9, 1976, seven Islanders scored, including two from Bob Bourne, as the Islanders routed the Detroit Red Wings 8-1 at the Nassau Coliseum. The win was the Islanders’ fourth straight and extended their unbeaten streak to six In his 11th game of the year, Bryan Trottier scored his first goal of the season on the power-play to open the scoring early in the first. The Isles put 47 shots on net against Ed Giacomin, who made 39 saves in the loss. Chico Resch had 23 saves in the win.
📺 Deckhands: An Islanders Prospect Channel: Mitch Anderson talks about prospect Triston Lennox being named OHL Goalie of the Week & more.
🔗 Do the NY Islanders have something in the briefly formed Lee-Nelson-Barzal line? Eyes on Isles: “When the Islanders needed a boost in the third period chasing two goals, head coach Lane Lambert put together a trio of players we haven't seen before. In an effort to load up one line, Lambert iced Brock Nelson at center, supported by his usual running mate Anders Lee on the left side, and new line-mate Mathew Barzal on the right.”
🔗 Despite no goals scored yet, Mathew Barzal continues to improve his game, by Andrew Gross, Newsday: “I’m just trying to play my game,” said Barzal, who agreed to an eight-year, $73.2 million extension before this season. “Obviously, I’d love to score. At the end of the day, I like to be a playmaker. I’m just trying to make an impact in every way I can.”
And we leave you with this ….Ryan Whitney, co-host of the Barstool Sports' Spittin’n Chiclets podcast, perturbed Rangers fans when he pronounced that he sees “true greatness” in Sorokin and that simply Ilya > Igor.
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Honestly, if that no-call happened against the Isles I would have been furious. But, it didn't, so...
Great effort in the third. I didn't think the effort in the second was a problem; but too many penalties plus some bad plus plus some bad luck (namely the puck being knocked out of Varly's glove on the third goal) made it pretty bad. Great fight back though.
Between the Jets and Islanders (and my EPL team no one here cares about), my teams are all end of game teams at the moment. Dangerous way to live, but exciting when it works.
Lost in the win is the decision to move Whally to the fourth line. Bad move.
Lambert says he'd like to see him get more shots and then moves him off of Barzal's line? Especially in favor of a guy you bring up from the AHL!
Makes no sense. We need to do better.
Lee/Barzal/Nelson may be fine for a shift at game's end, but two centers on a line isn't the best use of talent.