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The New York Islanders dropped back-to-back games, coming up short against the Edmonton Oilers on Friday and then losing to the Calgary Flames on Saturday.
3-1 LOSS TO OILERS
The Islanders came out with a really strong first period against Edmonton, getting 18 shots on goal and managing the better chances by far. However, Cody Ceci opened the scoring for the Oilers with under a minute to go in the period, getting a point shot through traffic to give Edmonton a lead through 20 minutes.
The momentum then shifted in the second period, as the Oilers started to take more control and halfway through the frame, Zach Hyman opted to shoot on a 2-on-1, beating Sorokin to make it a 2-0 game. The Islanders did manage to capitalize on a power play later in the frame, as Anthony Beauvillier blew a shot by Mike Smith, but New York remained down heading into the second intermission. While the Islanders did get some chances in the final frame, Jesse Puljujarvi managed to tap a puck through Sorokin halfway through the period on a power play, making it a 3-1 Oilers lead. The Islanders managed some good chances late in the game but Mike Smith came up big again and the Oilers held on for the win.
5-2 LOSS TO FLAMES
In the loss to Calgary, the Flames opened the scoring midway through the opening frame, as Rasmus Andersson carried the puck around the outside of the Islanders’ zone and went behind the net, putting the puck out front to Adam Ruzicka, who beat Ilya Sorokin. After getting several good chances and hitting three posts in the frame, the Islanders did respond though, with Noah Dobson’s point shot deflecting in on a power play. The Flames took the lead back just a minute later though, as Chris Tanev wristed a shot past Sorokin, making it 2-1 Flames after 20 minutes.
In the second period, the Islanders were held to just five shots and Calgary ended up extending their lead, as Andrew Mangiapane tapped in his 24th goal of the year. However, Jean-Gabriel Pageau did manage to pull New York back to within one, after taking a pass from Zach Parise and beating Jacob Markstrom. New York’s chances were pretty limited in the third frame as well though, putting just seven shots on net. The Flames extended their lead to 4-2 early in the third period, as Erik Gubranson’s point shot snuck through Sorokin, and then Elias Lindholm made it 5-2 late in the game, securing a win for Calgary.
In both games, the Islanders started strong and came out with a good first period (even if they weren’t capitalizing) but their chances were much fewer and further between in the back two periods. There’s also just been a general lack of intensity at times, especially in their own end.
Ilya Sorokin was tasked with playing both games, as Semyon Varlamov was sidelined in COVID protocol. In both games he allowed pretty weak goals, mainly the ones to Puljujarvi and Gudbranson. It doesn’t matter much when the Islanders only score three goals in two games and surely there was fatigue playing both halves of a back-to-back, but Sorokin was far from great against Calgary.
New York also hasn’t been able to bury their chances, and it was a major factor in both losses. If they’re able to capitalize on some of their first period chances, maybe we see a different outcome.
So with the losses, New York is down to a 17-19-6 record and hope of a potential push for the playoffs seems pretty much gone. The Islanders will wrap up their road trip on Tuesday against the Buffalo Sabres.
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OTHER ARTICLES FROM FEBRUARY
Islanders beat Senators 4-1
Islanders wrap up homestand with shutout loss to Kraken
Kraken claim Austin Czarnik off waivers from Islanders
Islanders beat Canucks after five-goal first period 
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