UNIONDALE, NY — The New York Islanders’ impressive four-game winning streak came to an end with a nail-biting 5-4 shootout loss to the Boston Bruins at UBS Arena on Friday. Despite the setback, the Islanders extended their point streak to eight games, demonstrating resilience and skill in a tightly contested match.
Bo Horvat led the Islanders with a stellar three-point performance, contributing one goal and two assists. Alex Romanov, Simon Holmstrom, and Brock Nelson each added crucial goals, while Mathew Barzal set up two scoring opportunities with his assists.
The Bruins’ victory was sealed by David Pastrnak’s decisive goal in the shootout. Pastrnak also shone during regulation play with a power-play goal and an assist. Morgan Geekie and James van Riemsdyk each notched a goal and an assist, while Mason Lohrei scored the crucial game-tying goal at even strength.
In a showdown of goaltenders, Ilya Sorokin made 30 saves out of 34 for the Islanders in the shootout loss, while his counterpart, Linus Ullmark, stopped 33 out of 37 shots to secure the win for Boston.
The Islanders concluded their six-game homestand with a commendable 4-0-2 record, securing 10 out of a possible 12 points. Their home point streak now stands at eight games (5-0-3), and they have earned points in 14 of their last 15 games (9-1-5).
Despite the overall success of the homestand, the Islanders had moments of struggle. They lost the special teams battle, conceding three goals during penalty kills, which proved costly. Nonetheless, the team showed strength at five-on-five play, initially leading 2-0 in the second period with goals from Romanov and Holmstrom.
The Islanders’ power play unit remained effective, scoring two goals in four attempts. Horvat’s 11th goal of the season came on the power play, and Nelson added another to put the Islanders ahead 4-3.
However, the Bruins’ relentless pressure paid off with Lohrei’s late equalizer in the third period, leading to the decisive shootout. The shootout saw Bruins’ Charlie Coyle and Pastrnak score against Holmstrom’s effort for the Islanders.
As the Islanders move forward, they’ll face the Montreal Canadiens in their next game, aiming to continue their strong form despite the recent setback.
