Islanders look to get back on track vs. Senators (Dec 18, 2016)
A little over a week ago, the New York Islanders were enjoying their best stretch of the season and appeared to be possibly on their way to curing some things that ailed them in the first two months of a disappointing start.
Sub-par play has returned for the Islanders, who will look to snap a four-game losing streak Sunday night when they host the Ottawa Senators.
New York is 11-13-6 and its 28 points are the fewest in the Eastern Conference. The Islanders reached their position by going 6-10-4 through their first 20 games, a stretch that featured eight one-goal losses.
Following a 3-2 loss at San Jose on Nov. 25, the Islanders went 5-0-1 from Nov. 28 through Dec. 8. The Islanders were a period away from possibly getting a point Dec. 10 in Columbus but gave up four goals in a span of 12-plus minutes during the third period of a 6-2 loss.
That was followed by a 4-2 loss to Washington Tuesday, a 5-4 loss to Chicago Thursday and Friday's 3-2 overtime defeat at Buffalo. In each game during this streak, New York has held a lead at some point and scored the game's first goal.
On Friday, Ryan Strome scored the first goal and Alan Quine netted a power-play goal for a 2-1 lead going into the third period.
"It's just frustrating," Strome said after the Islanders scored the first goal for the 10th time in 11 games. "We play a good 40 minutes and the third period we kind of seem flat. It's kind of been the downfall of our team a little bit this year, our third periods and finding ways to win."
In third periods this season, the Islanders have given up 35 goals, nearly half their total from last season when the team had 100 points and won a playoff series for the first time since 1993. New York has given up six power-play goals in the third period and 14 in the last five minutes of regulation.
"So many games we've been tied or had the lead going into the third," New York center Shane Prince said. "We've got to find a way to close it out."
Ottawa has hit a rough patch in recent weeks by going 3-4-2 in its nine games starting with a 5-4 loss to Buffalo on Nov. 29. Before this slump, the Senators were 8-4-2 in their previous 14 contests.
In this stretch, Ottawa has dropped three one-goal games, dropping its record to 9-2-3.
The Senators nearly played another one-goal game Saturday in a 3-1 win over the New Jersey Devils. Zach Smith scored an empty-net goal after Derrick Brassard and Bobby Ryan scored in the first two periods.
Mike Condon made 29 saves and the defenders in front of him blocked 18 shots with most coming in a six-shot third period for New Jersey.
"Winning teams, that's what they're able to do," Ottawa coach Guy Boucher said. "I like that twice we took away back doors, which has hurt us lately. I really like that we had a back door, box up mentality.
Ottawa will play without third leading-scorer Mike Hoffman. Hoffman is serving the final game of his two-game suspension for cross-checking San Jose's Logan Couture to the head on Wednesday.
Smith replaced Hoffman on the top line with Brassard and Stone. He also had an assist as the line produced four points.
"My game doesn't change, but when you move up with guys like that, there is an obligation to put up points," Smith said. "I'm just glad we found a way to contribute."
The Senators will hope for another night of key contributions without Hoffman, especially since after their first visit to Brooklyn, their next three games are against the Chicago Blackhawks, Anaheim Ducks and New York Rangers.
The Islanders are 7-4-1 in the last 12 meetings with Ottawa. Erik Karlsson scored the game-winner in overtime in Ottawa on Dec. 5, 2015 while New York had a pair of three-goal periods in its two home wins over the Senators on Jan. 22 and March 23.
