Islanders Mistakes Allow Skid to Continue as Sharks Win in Shootout

Two teams in desperate need of a win needed a shootout to determine who would prevail Monday night, and it was the San Jose Sharks getting the 3-2 victory and pushing the New York Islanders losing streak to four games (0-2-2).

For the second straight contest, the Islanders could not hold a lead as the Sharks rallied to end their five-game skid. The tying goal was a bad break for New York as Tyler Toffoli’s shot doinked in off Adam Pelech‘s head.

When it rains, it pours.

On top of that, it took eight rounds of shootout hockey to determine the winner, and Sharks rookie Ivar Stenberg, who also scored San Jose’s first goal, finally got one past Ilya Sorokin, who played his usual strong game, albeit just for one point.

Sorokin stopped 36 shots, but he was matched by Yaroslav Askarov, who made 29 saves in 65 minutes and denied the Islanders in all eight shootout rounds. In a game with several nice saves, Askarov had the best, getting his right leg pad up in the air to keep Bo Horvat from netting a game-winner in overtime.

With that, here are three takeaways from the Islanders’ opener on the three-game California trip.

Islanders Their Own Worst Enemy

After the second period ended with a pair of fights, it seemed that the Islanders had the momentum in the third period. They outshot the Sharks 10-2 in the first eight minutes of the period, and moments later, they seemed to get a big opportunity when Mason Marchment earned a double minor for roughing Victor Eklund (more on him in a moment).

The Islanders got a couple shots on Askarov in the first 30 seconds, but the second power play unit pulled the plug on the chance midway through the four minutes. Ondrej Palat hooked Barclay Goodrow, and before the Islanders could control the puck, Anthony Duclair tripped Zack Ostapchuk. That turned an Islanders power play into a San Jose 4-on-3.

San Jose did not score on the power play, but the Sharks rattled off the next 10 shots on the goal, and the Islanders would not test Askarov again until the final minute of regulation.

The Sharks first goal also came off an Islanders mistake when Logan Stanley could not clear the puck out of the defensive zone. That led to Stenberg’s goal, a deflection off a shot from Tyler Toffoli.

Stenberg was alone because Tony DeAngelo circled away from the play as Stanley tried to get the puck out of the zone and could not get to him in time.

Eklund Shines as Islanders Power Play Lights the Lamp

The Islanders’ newfangled power play scored on their first chance as Eklund beat Askarov from the slot just 71 seconds into the second period to give New York a 2-1 lead. Entering Monday, the team was 1-for-18 in their last six games.

It was the rookie forward’s third straight game with a goal, but he contributed in other ways as well. He ingratiated himself with the San Jose fans by not being afraid to get physical as he had a team-high five hits. It was his hit on Kiefer Sherwood along the boards that drew the Marchment double minor.

He played 18:05, a career high for the 20-year-old.

Hutton Praised by DeBoer

Islanders coach Pete DeBoer knew Ben Hutton from their time together in Vegas, which led the team to sign the veteran defenseman after Ryan Pulock and Alexander Romanov suffered injuries last month. In just his second game with the team, Hutton scored, giving the Islanders a 1-0 lead less than seven minutes into the contest.

Hutton only played 14:28, but he got four shots on goal, laid a couple hits and blocked a shot.

“I thought he was really solid tonight,” DeBoer said. “I didn’t feel we got really solid play from a lot of guys tonight for 60 minutes, but I think he was one of them that gave us that.”

If Pulock, who skated with the team earlier in the day, can play against either Los Angeles on Thursday and/or Anaheim on Saturday, then it makes one wonder whether DeBoer will look to keep Hutton, 33, among the active defensemen for those games.

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