The Islanders overcame a 2-1 deficit late in the second and dodged a barrage of quality scoring chances from the Bruins in the third period to eventually take down the Bruins 3-2 in overtime.
Islanders 3, Bruins 2 (OT)
Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, N.Y.
Dec. 12, 2009
Headliner: Dwayne Roloson hasn’t played like a 40-year-old all season, so why would that change against the Bruins? Roloson faced 32 shots and turned away 30 of them, including a third period in which he was peppered for 20 straight minutes. Roloson won for the first time in three games and is now 10-4-5 on the season and 2-0-1 against the Bruins.
Grinder: Matt Moulson was part of both of the Islanders’ goals in regulation, assisting on the first and scoring the second. Moulson now has 15 goals and 10 assists in 32 games this season, his first full season in the NHL. The 26-year-old is tied for the team lead in goals with John Tavares and is second in points to Tavares.
Weak Link: Special teams once again played a factor into the decision of a Bruins game, and once again the B’s power play cost them a chance for two points in the standings. Despite outshooting the Islanders 32-19 on Saturday, the Bruins went 0-for-3 on the power play, failing to capitalize on several quality chances from the slot. The Bruins’ inability to take advantage of the man advantage played a role in the loss, and cost the team a chance to head home with another win.
Key Moment: The one difference entering the game on Saturday was going to be the Bruins’ ability to shut down the young guns on the Islanders. But the B’s let the dynamic talent of the Isles get back in the game before eventually putting it away. After taking a 2-1 lead, the Bruins were unable to build off the lead and Roloson was able to buy time for his offense to tie the score. The Bruins allowed Moulson to score his 15th goal of the season with 5:18 left in the second, after containing the sniper for nearly two full periods. And who happened to get the assists on the game-tying goal? Tavares and Kyle Okposo.
What’s Next: The Bruins get to rest on Sunday before heading home to host the inconsistent Flyers on Monday night at the Garden. Monday’s game will be the Bruins’ only home game for the next nine days, as they don’t return to Boston until Dec. 23 against the Thrashers. In between, the Bruins will play on the road against the Blackhawks, Maple Leafs and Senators, so Monday’s home game will be the last chance for the Bruins to use their home-ice advantage for some time.
