ELMONT, NY — The Islanders’ power play struggles persisted on Thanksgiving Eve against the Boston Bruins. New York’s man-advantage unit went 0-for-4 with four shots in a 3-1 loss, marking their second loss in three games since returning from a seven-game road trip.
“The goals obviously aren’t there,” forward Kyle Palmieri said. “The percentage is what it is, but we had some good possession and moved it around well. It just bounced over sticks, stuff like that. We’re getting the puck in, getting set up, and moving it well. The goals aren’t there, but there’s a lot to build on, and they’ll go in.”
Trailing 2-1 midway through the third period, a turnover by Islanders’ rookie Matthew Schaefer led to Alex Steeves scoring a shorthanded goal past Ilya Sorokin at the 10:21 mark.
“The power play wasn’t as sharp,” Roy said. “Our entries were too cute. We need better shots on net and to be better around the net.”
The Islanders (13-9-2, 28 points) are 0-for-their-last-27 on the power play over eight games. They’ve scored just two goals in regulation across their last three games. Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman stopped 44 of 45 shots, while Sorokin stopped 11 of 14.
“I thought we played a really good game,” Roy said. “We were the better team on the ice, but need better shot quality and more traffic around the net.”
Mathew Barzal opened the scoring 4:41 into the game with a standout play, deking past Swayman to score. Just 1:42 later, Steeves equalized by capitalizing on a loose puck in front of Sorokin.
Tanner Jeannot put Boston ahead 43 seconds into the second period with a wrister over Sorokin’s glove. The Islanders had three power-play opportunities but only managed two shots during those chances.
Mark Kastelic’s penalty resulted in two blocked attempts and a giveaway for the Islanders. Morgan Geekie’s penalty saw the Bruins score more goals than the Islanders had shots.
“The guys know they have to do the work,” Roy said. “It’s about confidence around the net. You score one, then two, and confidence builds.”
Ironically, the Islanders often struggle despite outshooting opponents. They are 2-8-1 when outshooting opponents and 1-5-0 when recording 35 or more shots.
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