BOSTON – The Islanders did it the hard way. The key being, they did it.
They couldn’t hold a two-goal lead in the third period but still managed to earn a road split against the Bruins with a 4-3 overtime win in Game 2 of their second-round series on Monday night before 17,400 at TD Garden.
Casey Cizikas scored on a breakaway at 14:48 of the extra period, shortly after Semyon Varlamov stopped Taylor Hall’s rebound attempt at the Islanders’ crease.
Varlamov made 39 saves while the Bruins’ Tuukka Rask stopped 35 shots.
"I think that’s part of having success at this point of the season," said Josh Bailey, who scored one of the Islanders’ two power-play goals. "You’ve got to be able to turn the page quickly after a good one or after a tough one or anything in between."
The series moves to Nassau Coliseum for Game 3 on Thursday night, with capacity expanded to 12,000.
The Bruins made it uncomfortable in the third period, buzzing Varlamov’s crease and hemming in the Islanders. Patrice Bergeron cut the Islanders’ lead to 3-2 with a one-timer off Brad Marchand’s feed over Varlamov’s blocker at 10:34.
Marchand tied it at 3 on the power play at 15:06 after the Islanders were caught with too many men with a unscreened shot past Varlamov’s glove.
Coach Barry Trotz turned back to Varlamov after Ilya Sorokin stopped 35 of 39 shots in Saturday’s 5-2 loss in Game 1, allowing two goals to David Pastrnak on long rebounds and two when he was fully screened.
Sorokin had won all four games in the first round against the Penguins and Varlamov had not started since a 5-4 loss in Game 3. He was also in net for a 2-1 loss in Game 2.
At the same time, Trotz kept his lines and defense pairs the same from Game 1 after hinting at changes among his combinations after Sunday’s practice.
Speculation had centered on Trotz altering his top line of Mathew Barzal between Jordan Eberle and grinder Leo Komarov. Barzal, who had four goals in six games to end the regular season, has yet to score in the postseason and Trotz bluntly said the Islanders would have a hard time ousting the Bruins without more points from their top playmaker.
"The top players get really good matchups," Trotz said. "They have to really fight for their inches to have any success in the playoffs. In the regular season, there’s more room, there just is. He’s done it in past playoffs. This year it’s a little different. He’s having a little more of a struggle."
Barzal might not have notched a goal, but he and his linemates made a positive impact, creating numerous chances while Komarov also clearly annoyed the Bruins with his pesky play. Barzal just missed on a second-period power play with the teams skating four-on-four, lifting a backhander wide.
Still, the Islanders exited the second period leading 3-1.
Bailey tied the game at 1 on the man advantage at 6:52 of the second period with Pastrnak off for goalie interference. Bailey tried to feed the middle of the ice from the right wall and the puck deflected in off defenseman Jeremy Lauzon.
Kyle Palmieri stuffed the puck in at the left post to give the Islanders a 2-1 lead at 11:00 of the second period after Jean-Gabriel Pageau backhanded the puck toward the crease. That became 3-1 at 17:21 on a crisp passing sequence started by Barzal on the right wall before Anthony Beauvillier fed Pageau at the left post.
The Bruins took a 1-0 lead on their first shot as Charlie Coyle collected a turnover in the Islanders’ zone, skated around defenseman Nick Leddy and tucked the puck past Varlamov’s outstretched left pad at 2:38 of the first period.
The goal was not Varlamov’s fault but the early deficit mirrored the early, questionable goals he surrendered in losses in Games 2 and 3 to the Penguins.
But Varlamov stopped the next 14 shots the rest of the first period – and all 10 in the second period – and the Islanders did not allow a shot after Eberle was called for tripping Nick Ritchie at the Bruins’ crease at 6:23 of the first period.
