New York Islanders Power Play Prevails over Red Wings (Highlights)

The New York Islanders are back to winning way and the power play was actually a positive for them. Although it almost wasn’t.

The last time the New York Islanders played the Detroit Red Wings there were 38 penalty minutes given. Would this be a repeat?

Both teams were tied on points coming into the game with 32. A win wouldn’t push either team into the playoffs, but they’d at least jump to the top of the rest.

Maybe with the possible penalty fest the Islanders could find a way to cure their power play?

First Period

Again, the New York Islanders let up the first goal of the game. Cal Clutterbuck takes a terrible penalty for interfering with Justin Abdelkader‘s stick and the Red Wings score a power play goal just seconds later.

The Islanders haven’t been good enough to gift the opposition opportunities like they do.

Thankfully the Islanders have

Mathew Barzal

on the roster. At the eleven minute mark Barzal and Beauvillier were racing up the ice on a 2-on-1 and connected perfectly to get the Isles on the board.

Fourteen seconds from the end of the first frame Trevor Daley scores an fluke goal to take the lead for the Red Wings after the Isles deserved to leave the period with a tie.

Second Period

No goals in the second frame even with Detroit trying their best to let the Islanders break out of their power play funk.

The Islanders had three power play opportunities in the second period and didn’t score on a single one of them.

Over their last 18 games (including tonight) the Isles are 3-for-54. That’s a five percent efficiency. It will get worse before it gets better.

Third Period

The Islanders would get three more power play opportunities in the first half of the third period. They did what they always do on the first two, pass the puck way too much and never shoot.

By the third power play of the period that changed. After

Nick Leddy

got the puck to the net everyone converged on Bernier. The puck squeaked out to Mathew Barzal who buried it for the first 5-on-4 goal since dinosaurs roamed the earth.

Three minutes later Casey Cizikas put in his eighth goal of the season to give the Islanders the 3-2 lead.

The Red Wings would tie it up as they pull the goalie for the sixth attacker. Pushing the game to overtime.

Overtime

This game shouldn’t have gone to overtime. The Isles outshot the Red Wings 46-15 and had six power play opportunities scoring on only one. They totally out played Detroit and still had to go to overtime.

The extra frame didn’t open up until the final minute. Both teams traded opportunities as the ice opened up. Neither team could capitalize.

Meaning the Isles would have to go to the shootout and face former Islander and shootout champ Frans Nielsen.

Shootout

The best player in the shootout Frans Neilsen was first up for the Red Wings and didn’t bury his patented back-hander. Thomas Greiss stopped the two other Detroit shooters.

The New York Islanders would win the shootout thanks to Mathew Barzal who scored this beauty.

Three Stars

1. Mathew Barzal: 1 goal (1 beauty shootout goal), 1 assist 

He did everything for the Islanders on the night. He was that Islanders focal point on the attack. You could see what that power play goal meant to both the team and for Barzal himself with this celly.

2. Brock Nelson: 8 shots

He didn’t get a point but Brock Nelson was the embodiment of the Trotz system. Strong on the puck, strong off the puck, and creating a ton of offense.

3. Tomas Vanek: 1 goal, 2 assits 

Vanek loves playing at the Coliseum. It’s arguably the only reason he left the Islanders in the first place. His play tonight, for a terrible Detroit team was the only reason they earned a point.