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NYHN Daily: Islanders Take Series Lead After Slim Game 5 Win & More

Published

3 years ago

June 8, 2021

The New York Islanders are heading home with a 3-2 series lead and have the chance to eliminate the Boston Bruins on Wednesday. The power play came up large in Game 6 and Varlamov stood tall yet again. Scott Mayfield has impressed this postseason and Anders Lee was seen skating at warmups. These stories and more in today’s daily links!

It was the middle of April when Barry Trotz was fielding questions about the New York Islanders’ struggling power and that “it’s got to be an element that doesn’t lose us games.” Fast forward to Monday night and it was one of the main reasons the Islanders came away with a win in Game 5 of their Second Round series with the Boston Bruins. New York scored three power-play goals in their 5-4 win over Boston to take a 3-2 series lead back to Long Island for Game 6 on Wednesday. (NYI Hockey Now)

It wasn’t easy, especially over the final 10 minutes, but the New York Islanders took Game 5. After holding a three-goal lead at the start of the third period, New York held on for an eventual 5-4 win over the Boston Bruins at TD Garden. The Isles can clinch the series with a win at Nassau Coliseum in Game 6. New York erupted on the man advantage, scoring three in total on the power play before the final whistle. Let’s examine this one a little deeper. (NYI Hockey Now)

New York Islanders defenseman Scott Mayfield had his fair share of issues during the regular season. Despite putting up stronger numbers statistically speaking, the eye test showed an abundance of mental errors that had tainted those stats and his confidence. But during the postseason, he has been one of the Islanders best players. (NYI Hockey Now)

The New York Islanders had a surprise guest on the ice at TD Garden during the team’s optional morning skate on Monday. As things were wrapping up, Anders Lee was seen skating on his own. Lee has been sidelined with an ACL injury since March when the Islanders announced their captain would miss the rest of the 2021 season. Monday would mark the first time that Lee has been seen skating by members of the media since the injury. (NYI Hockey Now)

The Islanders still need nine more victories to get to the finish line, but sometimes it is impossible to ignore the hockey gods when they are trying to tell us something. Maybe it’s your year when you get dominated by the Bruins both early and late in a playoff road game, yet somehow find a way to win, 5-4, and get within one victory of a return to the NHL’s final four. (Newsday)

As bizarre as Game 5 was, with the Islanders getting badly outplayed at even strength for the first 15 minutes and about a 15-minute stretch in the third, the postgame news conference from the home side in Boston was equally bizarre writes Arthur Staple. (The Athletic)

The New York Islanders scored on each of their first three power plays in a 5-4 win against the Boston Bruins in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Second Round at TD Garden in Boston on Monday.

Mathew Barzal, Josh Bailey and Jordan Eberle each had a goal and an assist for the Islanders, the No. 4 seed in the MassMutual East Division. Semyon Varlamov made 40 saves to help New York take the lead in the best-of-7 series. (NHL)

There is yet no word on the scheduled meeting between Buffalo Sabres captain Jack Eichel and Sabres management, or if the meeting has yet taken place. Based on all indicators, the two sides have some serious issues to figure out to keep Eichel, one of the premier centers in the league, off the NHL trade market. There is rampant speculation the Sabres will select their new coach with Eichel in mind. We have one name to watch on that front, and he’s very familiar to the Metro Division and Boston fans. However, Off The Record has been reporting for a few months the two sides are headed for divorce, but the coach could be the Hail Mary to keep the former second-overall pick. (NHL Hockey Now)

It’s readily apparent at this point that there isn’t much love lost between the Boston Bruins and the New York Islanders. The Boston Bruins were the better hockey club by pretty much all measures while outshooting the Islanders by a 44-19 margin, but those three power-play goals played the big difference-maker in a 5-4 Bruins loss at TD Garden. There were some good calls, some bad calls, and some missed calls which infuriated Boston and head coach Bruce Cassidy. (Boston Hockey Now)

The Pittsburgh Penguins trade rumors and free agency whispers are true. The team is indeed looking for an experienced backup goalie to fortify the net should Tristan Jarry struggle in the regular season, or especially the postseason, as he did last month in the Penguins Round One loss to the New York Islanders. Jarry will be protected in the expansion draft along with Evgeni Malkin says sources. (Pittsburgh Hockey Now)

Rebuilds are never easy on a fan base. It’s aggravating to watch a team that is realistically out of the playoffs before the season begins. The Red Wings have missed the playoffs for five consecutive seasons. Over the past two seasons, they have won 36 of 127 games. And Detroit general manager Steve Yzerman says it’s still going to take more time to transform this team into a contender. But for some reason this rebuild doesn’t seem as painful as rebuilding efforts in other cities. For example, there is far less negativity in Detroit than there is in Buffalo. Here are five reasons why Detroit’s rebuild has been more bearable than some others. (Detroit Hockey Now)

On Monday afternoon, a day after the Avalanche saw an early 1-0 lead sink into 5-1 oblivion, Avs head coach Jared Bednar met with the media and said he was still in the process of dissecting the film from Game 4. After all, right now, there is a lot to break down as the head coach of the Avalanche. (Colorado Hockey Now)

Thank you, San Jose Hockey Now subscribers! Earlier this month, Sheng Peng announced a contest to give away some of my San Jose Sharks hockey cards to my subscribers. Special thanks to Upper Deck for providing most of the giveaway goodies! Here, in order, are the randomly-selected winners. (San Jose Hockey Now)

Tyler Toffoli scored 1:39 into overtime, and the Montreal Canadiens swept the Winnipeg Jets with a 3-2 win in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Second Round at Bell Centre on Monday. Toffoli won it on a one-timer from low in the left face-off circle off a cross-ice pass from rookie Cole Caufield after Nick Suzuki won a battle along the boards. (NHL)

Tuukka Rask was replaced by rookie goalie Jeremy Swayman for the Boston Bruins to start the third period in a 5-4 loss to the New York Islanders in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Second Round on Monday. Rask allowed four goals on 16 shots, but the switch was not solely based on his performance, Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said. (NHL)

David Savard is getting a taste of what he hoped for in the Stanley Cup Playoffs when the defenseman was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Lightning are getting a taste of what Savard can do for them in their hunt to repeat as Stanley Cup champions, which is why they acquired him April 10 from the Columbus Blue Jackets in a three-team trade that included the Detroit Red Wings. (NHL)

The Winnipeg Jets were swept in the Stanley Cup Second Round because the Montreal Canadiens are playing at the top of their game, particularly goalie Carey Price, Winnipeg captain Blake Wheeler said after a 3-2 overtime loss in Game 4 on Monday.”They’re playing at a really high level right now,” Wheeler said. (NHL)

Nino Niederreiter could return for the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Second Round against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday.

The forward practiced Monday for the first time since sustaining an upper-body injury at practice May 29 that kept him out of the first four games of the series. He was at left wing on the third line with center Jordan Martinook and Martin Necas. (NHL)