NY Islanders win fifth straight game beating the Colorado Avalanche

Actions speak louder than words and Romanov is having to shout over his bone-crunching checks and the roar of the crowds at UBS Arena. in 5-2 win.

Colorado Avalanche v New York Islanders
Colorado Avalanche v New York Islanders | Bruce Bennett/GettyImages

NY Isles win moves the team another point closer to playoff spot.

The NY Islanders closed out their seven-game homestand with a convincing 5-2 win against a struggling Colorado Avalanche team at UBS Arena Tuesday night. The win moved the team up one point in the standings, putting them now only four points out of the last Wild Card spot, currently held by the Tampa Bay Lightning. That puts the Isles record now at 22-20-7, going 8-2-0 in the last 10 games. Colorado have gone 1-3-1 in their previous five outings. GM Lou Lamoriello's new additions are fitting in nicely.


Great goaltending, an unlikely star, new faces contribute and the return of a few familiar ones in a special win for the home team.

Ilya Sorokin was solid in goal, stopping 30 of 32 shots and making some unbelievable saves for the Islanders. The Isles did a great job blocking shots, as the Avs had over 70 shot attempts after only 45 minutes of play. Simon Holmstrom was equally in the zone as Sorokin netting two goals (his 11th and 12th of the season) and an assist in a solid effort by the 23 year-old RFA winger. Recently acquired defensemen Tony DeAngelo and Scott Perunovich played really well, with each contributing an assist and recording a +2 D-man rating. The game also saw NY Isles winger Max Tysplakov, return to action after serving a three-game suspension and being a healthy scratch the following four games, played hard on the fourth line. The game had ex-Islanders Calvin de Haan and Devon Toews face their former club, both of whom started their NHL careers with Isles.

Isles offense kicks into gear, penalty kill is getting it done and Alex Romanov is stepping it up (and into the competition) with two of the top four d-men on IR.

Alexander Romanov
Carolina Hurricanes v New York Islanders | Bruce Bennett/GettyImages

The Islanders opened the scoring in the second period when captain Anders Lee used his long reach to deke Avs goalie Mackenzie Blackwood. The goal came as the result of a great area pass by Brock Nelson, which Lee was able to gather in the left corner and beat the goalie for his 22nd tally of the season. Lee has become hot during this winning stretch, Brock Nelson and Bo Horvat have broken out of their previous ruts, and Alex Romanov has become a force on defense. Not just for his jarring hits, this time on Avs star Cale Makar on the penalty kill, but also scoring in back to back games. His hitting, gap control in the defensive zone and now contributing offensively has helped the Isles play up to their potential as of late. The penalty kill went 2/2 in the win, looking a lot sharper during this run and hopefully turning a corner.

Things that could have gone better

In a win that saw the Islanders play some great hockey against a much flashier team in the Colorado Avalanche, there were a few flaws that need to be worked out. The most glaring issue has been the 3rd D-pairing play of Scott Mayfield and Isaiah George, exemplified by the Avs first goal. When the Avs entered the zone, Mayfield ended up following Martin Necas to the blueline as the puck was played to the opposite end boards. George was in front of the net with eventual goal scorer Arturri Lehkonen, the two clipped skates with both falling, allowing Nathan MacKinnon to throw a pass to Lehkonen who scored from the seat of his pants. It didn't help that Isles center Bo Horvat was nowhere to be seen to help his goalie out. Islanders coach Patrick Roy split the two up for most of the remainder of the game following the goal, but it shows they need to be better in the defensive zone. The 20-year-old rookie, George, has looked lost at times trying to clear the zone that have led to a large number of turnovers. He has been subjected to trial by fire with the number of injuries to the Isles defense, but maybe reserve player Grant Hutton might be a better option now with the two new players are in the mix on defense.

Schedule