Islanders vs. Bruins winners and losers: Scott Mayfield has game to forget

If yesterday’s game was unacceptable what was today’s effort? The New York Islanders drop games in back-to-back nights against the Bruins and fail to show up yet again.

Don’t even talk to me about the first period. The Isles best period may have been that opening frame but they underlying number tell a much different tale:

• CF%: 36
• SCF%: 38.46
• HDCF%: 16.67 (they had 1)
• xGF%: 23.6

All at 5on5 and from the ever-excellent, NaturalStatTrick.

Something needs to change. Ever since that horrible five-minute power play against the Flyers, the Islanders just haven’t been the same team. They need a turnaround and quick.

It wasn’t a good game by any stretch but I still managed to find some positives for the winners and losers.

Winners

Ilya Sorokin (2GA, 0.926SV%): Another good game from Ilya Sorokin. Sure, two goals against isn’t a great sat-line but when Scott Mayfield vacates the front of the net to David Pastrnak and lets Taylor Hall blow by him as if he were a pilon, there’s only so much Sorokin can do.

Noah Dobson (1 Hit, 2 GVA, 0.43GS): Not the prettiest stat-line but the young Noah Dobson holds the highest game score tonight for the New York Islanders.

Scott Gomez: No he’s no longer with the Islanders, but the former Isles special team’s coach has to be watching the Isles power play and say: “clearly I wasn’t the issue.”

Losers

Scott Mayfield (-2, 2 Blocks,1 Hit, -2.50GS): Scott Mayfield continues to struggle on the blue line for the New York Islanders today. The veteran right-hander was at fault for all but the empty goal tonight.

His negative 2.50 game score tells you just how poor he was tonight.

Better defensive awareness and better 1-on-1 play. These are seemingly simple issues for an NHL defenseman. I’m not sure what’s going on with Scott Mayfield of later but he’s better than this.

Matt Barzal (2PIM): Barzal takes yet another high-sticking penalty. But he’s not a loser for that alone. His play today was suspect. Barzal had a real issue in getting pucks deep into the O-zone as AJ Mleczko rightfully pointed out in the intermission.

Ryan Pulock (-1.18 GS): Outside of Scott Mayfield’s game low -2.50 game score, fellow defenseman Ryan Pulock held the second-lowest game score of the night with a -1.18.

Usually, Pulock is at the top of the rankings thanks in large part to his strong defensive play. Not the case tonight with a 0.76 xGA and 0.33 xGF.