Nothing about the New York Islanders’ latest loss provided optimism as they started the second half of their season.
Playing for the third time in four nights — including goalie Ilya Sorokin, who made a last-minute start with Semyon Varlamov entering COVID-19 protocol after warmups — the Islanders looked slow and tired in a 5-2 loss to the streaking Calgary Flames on Saturday night at Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary.
The Islanders (17-19-6) have dropped two straight on this four-game road trip, which concludes Tuesday night in Buffalo. They are 17 points out of an Eastern Conference playoff spot and still can’t beat playoff-level competition, falling to 2-15-2 against teams holding a postseason position. They have been outscored 66-32 in those games.
Twenty-three of the final 40 games will be against teams currently holding a playoff spot, including 12 of their last 16 games.
Sorokin, who made 24 saves, allowed at least three goals for a third straight start.
Jacob Markstrom stopped 19 shots for the Flames (26-13-6), who are second in the Pacific Division and have won six straight and eight of nine.
The opportunistic Flames took advantage of the Islanders getting caught puck-watching as Adam Ruzicka opened the scoring at 9:58 of the first period. Defenseman Rasmus Andersson skated behind Sorokin, and Mathew Barzal, Anders Lee, Cal Clutterbuck and defensemen Andy Greene and Noah Dobson ignored Ruzicka establishing position just above the crease.
Dobson’s power-play goal through Lee’s screen at 17:07 of the first period tied it at 1. The Flames’ penalty kill at home entered the game ranked first in the NHL, having allowed three goals on 41 chances.
But Oliver Wahlstrom’s neutral-zone turnover turned into defenseman Christopher Tanev’s go-ahead goal just 61 seconds later. His shot deflected off Zach Parise’s stick.
The Flames took a 3-1 lead at 15:32 of the second period as Andrew Mangiapane got to the crease to tip in defenseman Nikita Zadorov’s initial shot. Mangiapane scored two power-play goals in the Flames’ 5-2 win in the first game played at UBS Arena on Nov. 20.
The Islanders didn’t get their first of four second-period shots until Anthony Beauvillier’s backhander at 12:39. Despite not generating enough, they did respond quickly to Mangiapane’s goal as Parise, from behind the net, set up Jean-Gabriel Pageau down low for his first goal since Dec. 19 to cut the Flames’ lead to 3-2 at 16:50 of the second period.
But Erik Gudbranson’s video-reviewed goal at 8:00 of the third period again gave the Flames a two-goal lead as Sorokin allowed his shot from the point to trickle through. Elias Lindholm, left wide open, capped the scoring at 15:13.
