Islanders 7, Sharks 2: Doormat managed, 3-point nights for Bo and Brock

The New York Islanders secured a must-have win, their fifth in a row, against a basement-dwelling San Jose Sharks team in the midst of a trade deadline selloff of the few NHL assets they have.

Despite an uneven start, the game featured three points each for Brock Nelson and Bo Horvat, as well as the extension to a six-game points streak for their linemate Mat Barzal, on their way to a 7-2 victory that was never in doubt.

[NHL Gamecenter | Game Summary | Event Summary | Natural Stat Trick]

First Period: They don’t ask how, they ask how many

Things started off like a charm, then got a little hairy, but the Isles’ consistent structure got them a second goal to enter the first intermission up 2-0.

They were on the board just 19 seconds into the game, after Noah Dobson’s attempted from the point deflected off a skate high in the zone and found its way into the net.

But after that, though the Isles were pretty steady with their positioning and created some flow at times, overall they looked like they hadn’t yet shaken the cross-continent flight out of their legs. Slow to some checks, committing some turnovers, they left the Sharks a few openings to potentially equalize.

That didn’t happen though, and they got another blueline goal late in the period off the rush. Brock Nelson gained the line and slipped a pass tight and a little behind Bo Horvat. Horvat did well to collect it and get it back to the point, where Alex Romanov — without his facemask, finally — scored on an unscreened shot to the short side.

Second Period: That’s...that’s a lot of goals

As expected, or at least hoped, the Isles had a little better, more cohesive energy in the middle period. But Horvat went to the box for hooking early and the Sharks converted on the power play just 2:45 in. William Eklund sent the puck from the right wing toward the top of the crease, where wine merchant Thomas Bordeleau redirected it in with his skate.

This game seemingly happening in slow motion.

>>You’re right.

—Brendan Burke and Butch Goring, about halfway through the period

The Isles thought they might have tied it at the midway point — so did Butch Goring, though Brendan knew better — but the puck hit the bar as the game went to a TV timeout.

But after that break, with the top line on the ice, they hemmed the Sharks in, and eventually Horvat took the puck from below the goal line, out to the net front by himself, and lifted his 25th goal far side.

So the Isles restored their two-goal lead at 11:24. At 11:49, it was a one-goal game again. At 12:04, the two-goal lead was restored again.

Pierre Engvall turned it over in the Sharks zone, and Mike Hoffman rushed the length of the ice, completing a give-and-go with Givani Smith to make it 3-2.

But the Isles won the next center-ice faceoff and gained the zone. A healthy scramble in front created an impossible angle for Kyle MacLean, who somehow...I don’t know how he scored from that angle. Impressive stuff from the guy who still makes me think of Ross Johnston whenever I see #32, even though The Boss only appeared in like eight games ever.

The teams took a brief breath, but the goal frenzy was not over. Just 2:17 after MacLean’s goal, Mat Barzal completed a pretty give-and-go with Brock Nelson to make it 5-2. At last, some comfort.

And then 2:04 later, after a strong Ilya Sorokin save at one end, it was 6-2, Horvat picking up another assist as he braked hard and spun along the right wing boards, then found Sebastian Aho, who sizzled a shot inside the far post.

Third Period: Up all night

The third was a little loose — Sorokin had to stop Eklund point blank as he walked down the slot, and also stretched to rob ol’ friend Kyle Burroughs — but I admit I was mostly tired and just making lame jokes on Twitter.

About midway through (8:08), Anders Lee added a power play goal by basically passing it in off of Sharks backup goalie Magnus Chrona, who’s not so intimidating as his name makes him sound. That was on the first half of a double-minor (a high stick drew blood on poor Romanov), but the Isles couldn’t convert despite some decent chances on the second half.

The rest of the period was a formality.

Random Asides

Brendan: “The trade deadline is tomorrow, so we’ll hear Butch Goring’s name a few times.”

Butch: ”Yeah, it’s always nice to be remembered.”

Meanwhile, goodness, my heavens that building looked empty. They have something where LED lights or something flash on each seat during certain between-whistle promotions, and that looked even worse and really sad with all the empty seats.

I know the Sharks are in a teardown, and I don’t blame fans for not showing up, but that place looks freaking bleak.

Up Next

It gets a little tougher on the rest of this trip, as the Isles have a back-to-back in Anaheim and L.A. on Sunday and Monday nights.

Oh also, the trade deadline is tomorrow (er, today at this hour). That could mean something.