New York Islanders Comeback to Win 4-2 vs Colorado Avalanche

The New York Islanders come from behind to beat the Colorado Avalanche in overtime thanks to two goals from Ryan Pulock.

With a shootout win against the New Jersey Devils, the New York Islanders were able to preserve their two point lead at the top of the Metropolitan Division.

The win against the Devils gave the Isles a 7-1-2 record over their last ten games. It’s been the absolute opposite for the Colorado Avalanche over their last ten games.

With a five game losing streak, the Colorado Avalanche are 2-7-1 over their last ten games. That streak has the Avs outside of the playoffs by two points in the tight Western conference.

They’re playing about as poor as possible right now, but with MacKinnon, Rantanen, and Landeskog up top the Isles were going to have their hands full.

First Period

In the first period the New York Islanders were able to generate very little pressure in the Colorado zone. When they did, they didn’t do anything with it.

The New York Islanders got very few pucks on nets even with considerable traffic in front of goalie Semyon Varlamov.

The Isles would get a power play 13 minutes into the period but kept up their 15.7 percent man-advantage by barely gaining the zone and without getting a puck on net.

Before that, Carl Soderberg was able to get on the end of a puck coming off the boards. Soderberg was able to get into the slot without much pressure and get the easy goal.

Second Period

Two minutes into the second period it was former first-overall pick in 2006 Erik Johnson (yeah, I forgot he was a first overall pick too) put the Avalanche up 2-0.

The goal came after a bad change for the New York Islanders. The mix-up left the far side wide open. Johnson walks in comes across Lehner on the slot and gets it to go far-side.

The Islanders might be 13-9-1 when their opponents score first, coming back from a 2-0 deficit wasn’t as likely. Possible, but not easily done. Although with the way the Isles were playing it was going to be even more difficult.

Thankfully, Jordan Eberle would score his second goal in three games to reduce the Avalanche’s lead to just one goal.

Third Period

The Islanders were the better team going into the game, but they weren’t acting like it during the game. The Isles just weren’t getting anything towards net from a particularly dangerous area.

Until some nice work down low from the Mat Barzal line. With the puck directed towards the net, Michael Dal Colle redirects the puck towards the net for Josh Bailey to clean up in a spectacular way.

The Islanders were quickly back into this game thanks to Matt Martin. Not seen in that goal clip is a

clutch defensive play by Matt Martin

after Robin Lehner decided to go for a run.

Five minutes later it was Ryan Pulock on the power play to give the Islanders their first lead of the game.

That’s right a power play goal AND a shot on net from Ryan Pulock. Remarkable stuff here from the Islanders.

But thanks to a puck going off Devon Toews’ skate in the crease the game was tied at three. The Isles would go a to an increasingly familiar overtime period (it was the 14th time this season they’ve gone to OT).

Overtime

Ryan Pulock gets his second of the game in overtime thanks to an incredible forecheck by Brock Nelson.

The New York Islanders take the game 4-3 after being down 2-0. They deserved the two points on the everning. Good teams find a way, and the Islanders did just that.

Fan of the Game

Before every game we ask fans over Twittier which of the Isles 18 skaters would score the Islanders first goal of the night. Only one fan got it right with Jordan Eberle.