The East Division-leading Bruins don’t lose much. But they still can’t beat the Islanders.
The Islanders overcame two so-so periods with an impressive five-goal third period in Thursday night’s 7-2 win at Nassau Coliseum. The Islanders, who have won two in a row w on this four-game homestand and are in the midst of nine out of 10 at home, are 3-0-0 against the Bruins.
Semyon Varlamov made 34 saves in his fourth straight start.
Anthony Beauvillier, in his fifth game back in the lineup after missing nine games with a lower-body injury, scored his first regular-season goal in 20 games dating to Feb. 17, 2020, to give the Islanders a 3-2 lead at 5:41 of the third period. Beauvillier swiped the puck from Trent Frederic in the low slot and swatted it past ex-Islanders goalie Jaroslav Halak (30 saves).
Jordan Eberle pushed it to 4-2 at 10:45 as he skated to the right post, leaving a furious Halak to smash his stick against the other post and toss the remains over the glass. Jean-Gabriel Pageau’s shorthanded goal, his fourth goal in three games against the Bruins, made it 5-2 at 12:24. Anders Lee, at 14:44, and rookie Oliver Wahlstrom, at 16:33 capped the barrage.
The Bruins (11-4-2), who had not played since Sunday’s 7-3 outdoor win over the Flyers in Lake Tahoe, were missing four key regulars: defensemen Kevan Miller (knee), Jeremy Lauzon (hand) and Matt Grzelcyk (lower body) as well as center David Krejci (lower body).
But the Islanders’ lines got jumbled after Cal Clutterbuck exited at 15:03 of the first period. He returned for the second period, took a quick twirl on the ice but retreated to the Islanders’ room before the puck was dropped.
The Islanders’ first two wins against the Bruins were also at the Coliseum.
Pageau’s late third-period goal beat the Bruins, 1-0, on Jan. 18, and Pageau scored twice, including the Islanders’ only other shorthanded goal this season, in a 4-2 win on Feb. 13. Those were the Bruins’ lone regulation losses through their first 14 games.
"They’re a really good team so it’s a tough matchup," Pageau said before Thursday’s game. "But I like to play teams that are playing that type of game. I like when it’s a challenge. We’re not too far behind first place."
In fact, the Islanders (10-6-3) moved within one point of the Bruins.
The Bruins tied the game with the only goal in a sloppily-played second period. Craig Smith, coming out of the penalty box after tripping defenseman Nick Leddy in the offensive zone, tried to connect with Jack Studnicka from the left wall. Matt Martin, hustling to cover Studnicka cutting to the crease, inadvertently got his stick on the puck, popping it over Varlamov at 11:36.
Surprisingly for two teams so well structured defensively, both were loose in their zones to start the first period.
The Islanders spotted the Bruins a 1-0 lead at 1:02 as Nick Ritchie was left open to Varlamov’s right to tap in defenseman Jason Zboril’s feed following a neutral-zone turnover.
But defenseman Adam Pelech, also open off the left post, tied it at 1 at 3:16 on the Islanders’ first shot on Halak. Casey Cizikas had the secondary assist on Pelech’s goal for his 100th career helper.
Mathew Barzal, keeping the puck on a two-on-one rush with Eberle after a head-man pass from Leddy, gave the Islanders a 2-1 lead at 12:39 with a forehand wrister from the left circle that whizzed over Halak’s glove. Varlamov’s secondary assist on the goal marked the first point for an Islanders goalie this season.
