BSJ Game Report: Islanders 2, Bruins 1 (SO) - B's can't solve Isles again

Everything you need to know from the Bruins’ 2-1 shootout loss to the Islanders in quickie form, with BSJ insight and analysis:

Box Score

HEADLINES

B's still can't solve Isles 

Nassau Coliseum continued to be a house of horrors for the Bruins this season, as Boston dropped its fourth — and thankfully final — regular-season matchup at the Islanders' home barn on Tuesday, with New York skating away with a 2-1 shootout victory.

David Pastrnak scored the lone goal for the Bruins, who fall to 13-6-4 on the season. Jaroslav Halak was strong in net for Boston, stopping 26 of the 27 shots that came his way.

A slumping Bruins' power play mired in an 0-for-12 slump (and a 3-for-28 skid over its last 12 games) picked a good time to finally break through, with a David Pastrnak shot from just within the blue line slipping past Semyon Varlamov with just 28 seconds left in the period. A strong push from the B's skaters in the first translated over to the middle period, with Boston eluding New York's forecheckers and building considerable O-zone time down the other end of the sheet.

Of course, extended possessions in the offensive zone mean very little if you're not lighting the lamp — and it should come as little surprise that the lone team to score in that period was New York, with Brock Nelson securing the equalizer on the power play at 16:18.

Boston was lucky to leave Nassau with at least a point, given that the Islanders spent most of the third period generating chances against Halak — with New York holding a 9-4 edge in shots on goal over the final 20 minutes of play. After 60 minutes could not determine a victor, both Boston and New York traded chances in an action-packed OT stretch, with both Halak and Varlamov standing on their heads to eventually force the contest to end in a shootout. While Pastrnak buried one chance, both Jordan Eberle and Anthony Beauvillier beat Halak to hand New York its sixth straight win and push their home point streak to 13 games.

TWO UP

David Pastrnak: Pastrnak finally ended Boston's drought on the man advantage with his shot that he launched from the Long Island Marriott in the final minute of the first period. With that power-play tally, Pastrnak secured the 400th point of his NHL career. Pastrnak needed the fourth-fewest games (406) among Bruins players to reach that milestone — trailing only Bobby Orr (333 games), Barry Pederson (335 games) and Ray Bourque (391 games).

https://twitter.com/ConorRyan_93/status/1369448900826968064

Jaroslav Halak: Halak did more than enough to earn a W in this one, relinquishing just one goal against the Islanders' 27 shots. With Tuukka Rask appearing to tweak something during Sunday's loss to the Devils, Halak very well could be in line for more starting reps in the short term.

TWO DOWN

Secondary scoring: The Ritchie-Krejci-Studnicka line had some good looks throughout the game, but it's the same ol' story — with the Bergeron Line leading the way with another tally on the power play. At this point, it's time to stop trying to draw moral victories out of positive shot-share rates and Grade-A chances, because Boston is being suffocated by the lack of tangible production outside of Boston's top line. The 63-37-88 combined for 16 of the B's 33 shots on goal on the night.

Shootout: I know the NHL/NHLPA agreed to terms on a CBA extension, but is there any chance we can make a few last-minute adjustments and try to find a way to ban shootouts. Tuesday's OT stretch was one of the more entertaining 3v3 sequences we've seen all year, with both teams generating multiple quality chances at the five minutes wore on — all to have it be negated at the end by a skills competition. A shame, per usual.

PLAY OF THE GAME

Just robbery from Varlamov here.

https://twitter.com/BruinsDiehards/status/1369458255664185350

QUOTE OF THE DAY

https://twitter.com/NBCSBoston/status/1369491862508167168

PARTING THOUGHTS

Who needs shot blockers when you've got the Nassau Coliseum Zamboni patrolling the ice?

https://twitter.com/ConorRyan_93/status/1369465848558129152

LOOKING AHEAD

The Bruins will head back home for a pair of games against the Rangers, with the B's opening the slate with a matchup against the Blueshirts on Thursday. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m.