Perhaps the New York Islanders didn’t expect to give up five goals (including an empty-netter) to the Boston Bruins on Saturday, but they did expect to have a tall task in front of them.
The Islanders on Saturday fell 5-2 in Game 1 of their first-round Stanley Cup Playoff series against the Bruins. It was a close game much of the way, but things fell apart in the third period for the Islanders, who allowed three unanswered goals to end the game.
Despite the loss, a pair of Islanders defensemen said they weren’t exactly surprised by what they saw.
“They did nothing that we were surprised by,” Andy Greene said Saturday night after the loss. “We know (David) Pastrnak likes to sit in that area, that little soft area. Couple bouncing pucks and deflections right to him, he’s not going to miss those. So, we’ve just got to make sure we’re aware over there and try to limit his opportunities. Not just him, but the whole line. That’s what I take out of it tonight.”
Added top pairing defenseman Adam Pelech on Sunday: “They’re good, they did what we expected them to do. We need to be better against that line specifically. There are adjustments to be made, and against that line we definitely need to do better.
Of course, knowing what the Bruins might do and being able to actually stop it are two very different things, and the Islanders seem acutely aware of that.
New York’s next chance to get on track will be Game 2 on Monday at TD Garden.
