BSJ Game Report: Islanders 5, Bruins 4 - Dominant start, late rally goes for naught in frustrating Game 5 loss

Everything you need to know from the Bruins’ 5-4 loss to the Islanders in quickie form, with BSJ insight and analysis:

Box Score

HEADLINES

What looked to be the latest in a long line of storybook, late-game triumphs for the Bruins turned out to be too little too late on Monday night — as the B’s failed to dig themselves out of a three-goal deficit in the third period en route to an eventual 5-4 loss in Game 5 of their second-round series against the Islanders. 

David Pastrnak scored twice for the Bruins in the loss, with Boston now trailing in the best-of-seven series against the Isles, 3-2. Now on the ropes, Boston will look to keep its season alive at Nassau Coliseum on Wednesday night in a Game 6 showdown. 

David Krejci and Brad Marchand also scored for the Bruins, while Tuukka Rask surrendered four goals on 16 shots before getting pulled at the start of the third period for Jeremy Swayman. 

You could make the case that this was the most frustrating night at TD Garden since Games 5 and 7 of the 2019 Stanley Cup Final (more the former), as Boston dominated even-strength play for extended stretches — only to be bested by the Isles at special teams and just about every counterpunch that Barry Trotz’ club threw at them. 

By the end of the night, Boston outshot New York by a 44-19 margin — including a 76-35 edge in shot attempts. That mattered little in the grand scheme of things, however, while a startling lack of calls against the Isles limited the amount of reps that Boston’s power play could log as they attempted to get back in the fight. 

Speaking of calls, New York made the most of the power-play bids handed to them —with the Isles burying three goals on their first four shots to build themselves some breathing room. Perhaps the biggest shift in momentum came in the closing minutes of the first period, with a dominant start by Boston (including a howitzer goal from Pastrnak) negated after a weak slashing call against Sean Kuraly opened the door for an equalizer from Mathew Barzal.

Their momentum completely snuffed out, the Bruins found themselves chasing the game for a majority of the night — with third-period tallies from Pastrnak and Krejci not enough to keep Boston from falling in a 3-2 hole, with New York now set to return to the friendly confines of Nassau Coliseum. 

Be it Boston’s continued struggles on defense and on the PK, the lack of consistent calls on the ice, a potential setback for Rask and the lack of a breakthrough on the scoreboard despite dominating at even-strength play — Game 5 was the perfect storm of misery for Boston. 

Injuries continuing to prove costly

We can harp on the missed chances in that opening period and the continued discrepancy in calls between the Bruins and Islanders in this series — but if we’re looking for a clear turning point in this series, it might have been when Brandon Carlo went down in Game 3. 

With both Carlo and Kevan Miller out of commission, some of the strengths of this Bruins’ club (team defense and penalty kill) have been completely diced up by a team that shouldn’t be carving you up in the Islanders. 

With two of Boston’s stingiest netfront defenders not in the lineup, the Isles have had a much easier time generating quality looks down low at both even-strength and on the power play. Hopefully Carlo and/or Miller will be cleared in time for Game 6, because New York is going to continue to feast if Boston’s blue line remains depleted on Wednesday. 

To make matters worse, the Bruins lost another regular on Monday night — with Curtis Lazar exiting the contest early in the second period after doling out a massive hit on Adam Pelech. He was ruled out with a lower-body injury. 

Swayman replaces Rask in third

While some could interpret Bruce Cassidy’s decision to roll with Swayman over Rask in the third period as a move designed to spark Boston after a horrid middle frame, Boston’s coach noted postgame that Rask was pulled due to the lingering ailment that has plagued him this whole postseason. 

“There was some maintenance that needed to be done, he wasn’t 100 percent,” Cassidy said.

In a cruel twist of fate, it was Swayman who got tabbed with the loss after relinquishing the eventual game-winning tally — with a failed clear opening the door for Brock Nelson to bury New York’s fifth goal of the night just 1:59 into the third. Swayman finished with two saves on just three shots in the third period of action. 

While Cassidy assumes that Rask will be cleared and be ready to go for Game 6, the concerns surrounding his ability to perform at a high level will only be magnified after being out-dueled by Semyon Varlamov and ultimately getting pulled from Monday’s loss. 

TWO UP

Brad Marchand: Marchand did what he could to give the Bruins new life at multiple times in this one, burying one of the most impressive goals of his career off an absurd dangle-fest in the second period. 

David Pastrnak: Much like Marchand, the other winger on Boston’s top line did what he could to keep Boston alive — rifling home a puck during Boston’s impressive push in the first before adding another blast on the power play later in the third period. 

THREE DOWN

Penalty kill: Complain all you want about the officials in this one (believe me, your frustration is warranted), but Boston also simply got decimated on the PK — an area that the B’s dominated in all season long. The loss of Carlo/Miller has been especially evident on the PK — with the Isles generating far too many Grade-A chances and seam feeds in high-danger areas. Against a far-from-potent Isles power play, you can’t relinquish three goals on four shots. Can’t do it. 

Tuukka Rask: Rask has been strong all postseason and has kept them in multiple tight games in this series, but as the last line of defense, you could have used a couple saves from your No. 1 netminder to stop the bleeding. At the end of the day, New York got the timely saves it needed from their netminder, and you didn’t.

Officiating: If you’ve been following our Bruins coverage on BSJ for some time now, you know that we often don’t like to harp on officiating all that much. But it’s getting tough to ignore it in a series like this, with Game 5 adding to what has been an extensive list of sequences in which high sticks and other infractions have not been called against the Islanders. I’m still firmly on the train that a team like the Bruins should be able to overcome these setbacks and especially shut down a pedestrian Isles power play in a game like this, but man — the officials are doing what they can to make themselves a major narrative now.

PLAY OF THE GAME

Well, this was absurd, at least.

PARTING THOUGHTS

QUOTE OF THE DAY

LOOKING AHEAD

The Bruins will now head back down to Nassau Coliseum and try to keep their season alive on Wednesday night in Game 6. Puck drop is set for 7:30 p.m.