Bruins 6 (EN), Islanders 3: It is what it is.

All of us who write about the Islanders are tired of writing variations on this script, like a film series with its boring fifth sequel. But yeah: The Islanders played a decent game for 50 minutes on Wednesday night, getting to this point in the game tied before things kind of fell apart in front of them.

This time the final score was 6-3, giving away a few more highlight goals from Brock Nelson, who tied the game with an epic team goal 8 seconds before the second intermission. The Bruins’ third-period lead was definitely avoidable, and the game-winning insurance goal was a misplaced play with some bad luck. But the result is the same, another regulation result lost in the third period.

It’s probably not (just) psychological, it’s not just a lack of talent or the injuries, it’s definitely not just bad luck. It’s just…that’s how it goes. And it sucks considering the Isles have the fourth-worst point percentage in the conference.

(GameCenter | Game summary | Summary of the event | Natural statistics trick | HockeyViz)

First period

“At least we lead in faceoffs!” from the Islanders. didn’t help them in the opening stages. Casey Cizikas lost a clean sheet to Elias Lindholm, which allowed Brad Marchand to “stop licking strangers at 32,” rip a one-timer and put the Bruins on the court just 57 seconds into the game.

Five minutes later that scumbag scored again. This time it was a cascade of awkwardness. The Bruins had a nice transition from their own zone onto the ice, but Dennis Cholowski left his man behind, then Scott Mayfield found Justin Brazeau and Mayfield turned into Ilya Sorokin. This made it easy for Marchand to make it 2-0.

But despite all their mistakes and self-inflicted wounds, this team can’t stay grounded. Six minutes after Marchand’s second goal, Max Tsyplakov brought the Isles onto the field and finally scored his third goal of the season.

It wasn’t sexy by any means, but it was because he went to the right spot and his scooping shot somehow went through Joona’s Korpisalo.

It stayed that way until the first break and well into the second half.

Second period

The Islanders finally tied the game at 8:52 on Brock Nelson’s deadly bat. For his ninth goal of the season, Nelson took advantage of a bouncing puck that Mason Lohrei couldn’t handle outside the Bruins’ blueline, sprinting down the right wing and ripping it high near the sideline.

That didn’t last long, however, as the Bruins had the Isles running across their own zone, leaving Morgan Geekie a wide-open net to finish off a one-timer off a pass from Pavel Zacha.

An impressive turnaround with sustained pressure and keep-ins saw the late equaliser, again from Nelson and again with another wicked shot into the post. But it was a great job all around.

Ryan Pulock stopped a weak attack with his skate and then showed patience to put the Bruins in stasis before getting the puck to Isaiah George on the right wing. George hit the ball deep in the corner to Bo Horvat, who slid back over the boards before sending it to Nelson, who had taken his place in the corner. Nelson spun and got the ball back to Horvat, who again fed it to Pulock, who sent it to Nelson – now on the other side of the zone.

To cap the play, Nelson received the pass on his right skate, directed it to his stick, waited around a screen and sent it into the post with eight seconds left. If a team deserved a better fate based on a single goal alone, that would have been it. But at least the game ended with a 3-3 tie in the third period.

Third period

The Isles came out well in the third period, generating moments of pressure and appearing to have an appetite to win the game rather than stare at an inevitable collapse. But they weren’t rewarded, and another brilliant moment from the third pairing saw the Bruins take the lead again at 10:48.

A shot from the point was deflected by Zacha, who was pushed but unmarked by Chelowski, while Mayfield hit the deck in front of Sorokin.

Less than three minutes later the lead was already two goals, again through Zacha. David Pastrnak lifted Alex Romanov’s stick to steal a loose puck from behind the net and immediately send it forward. It didn’t go where Pastrnak intended, but bounced off Noah Dobson’s skate and went perfectly to Zacha, who backhanded it home.

With six minutes to go it was somehow 5-3 and the depression filled the building like thick fog.

Patrick Roy pulled Sorokin to the sixth attacker with more than four minutes left and after the Bruins called their only penalty of the night, but you know… the power play didn’t do anything, and then the Bruins fired one into an empty net at 2:02 Minutes before the end it is 6:3. Ye gods.

Quote of the night

“Make it to the top of the net and then play what I call the whack-whack game.”

>>Butch Goring describes his recommended 6v4 philosophy

Next

The Islanders have a tough time next, traveling to D.C. on Friday for an afternoon game against the Capitals.