Islanders Fall 3-1 in Final Home Game of Season to Capitals, Strome’s Hat-Trick

ELMONT, N.Y. — The New York Islanders (35-34-12) dropped their final home game of the season to the Washington Capitals (51-21-9) 3-1 inside UBS Arena on Tuesday night. Dylan Strome scored a hat-trick, one in each period, to sink the Islanders. Jean-Gabriel Pageau had the lone Islanders tally.

Charlie Lindgren sparkled for the Capitals, making big-time saves throughout the Washington victory. He kept out 34 pucks in the win. Ilya Sorokin played equally well, stopping 33 pieces of rubber in the loss.

For the Islanders, it gives them a final record of 19-17-5 at home for the year. It’s a disappointing end at home for a disappointing season. The fans serenaded Matt Martin all night long in anticipation that this would be his final career home game with the Islanders.

The next time this building will have a true hockey game will be in October, with a sprinkle of preseason prior to that.

Takeaways From Tonight:

It’s fitting that the power play did a microcosm of their entire season tonight. The power play, on its four opportunities, failed to score. They did create some chances at times, including some nifty one-timers, but Lindgren stood tall.

As for the penalty kill, it also mirrored the regular season. It started very slow, with Strome’s first coming all too easy with an extra man. Though he had time and space, it was a bit lucky. The shot hit off of Ryan Pulock and bounced in. However, as the game went on, the Islanders’ penalty kill buckled up and shut down any chances for the Capitals, finishing the night 3/4.

If the New York Rangers and Detroit Red Wings pick up at least one point over their final games, they clinch better records than the Islanders. The Islanders would hold the 10th overall pick entering the NHL Draft Lottery, with a 3.5% chance of winning it.

The Islanders pushed really hard late in the game to tie it up. For all the many things thrown at this team after a disappointing year, one thing you can’t and shouldn’t ever question is their effort. Sure, they had some horrid, self-described embarrassments (particularly against the NY Rangers), but they always put it all on the line. Had Lindgren not brought his A-game, the Islanders very easily could’ve won this one.

I was happy to see Scott Perunovich get a game. While I’ve banged the drum louder for Adam Boqvist, Perunovich hadn’t played since February 25 until tonight. During that long stretch outside the lineup, he didn’t complain. Last week, Islanders coach Patrick Roy praised his professionalism and how good of a teammate he was after such a stretch of not playing.

If this really was it for Matt Martin with the Islanders, the fans sent him off as a hero. Great touches by Kyle Palmieri to give him his ‘A’ and from Patrick Roy to give him a start and, eventually, a power play look and a look during the 6-on-5 late in the game.