Utah HC 5, Islanders 4 (OT): Isles overcome slow start, but blow late lead in opener

1 week ago  /  Lighthouse Hockey

Welp. Like, a point at least. | Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images


The new guys got on the board, but the Isles chased most of the night and coughed up a golden chance for the win. Both of the Islanders’ new forwards scored in their debut, and Maxim Tsyplakov could have very easily had the winner, but the New York Islanders blew a late lead and fell in overtime to the Utah Halitosis Chronicus, 5-4 on Long Island.
Dylan Guenther had the winner — his second of the game and fourth of the young season — 2:18 into overtime on the last of many Utah rushes in this game. The Isles had a slow start and had trouble adjusting to Utah HC, er the Hibernating Cheetahs, much of the night. But they came alive in the third, giving the home crowd some moments of excitement before ultimately sending them home disappointed.
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First Period: We’re...back?
After the energetic opening festivities, the Islanders delivered a wholly unimpressive first period. None of the four lines got much going, each took a turn getting stuck out for a loooong shift, and it seemed like half the team committed a puzzling turnover. Utah was faster, moved the puck better and committed fewer mistakes — other than some penalties, including one self-inflicted by their coach after a dubious challenge.
Unable to get on track at 5-on-5, the Islanders benefited from the first power play of the game and converted quickly, with Anthony Duclair unwittingly having a Noah Dobson shot deflect in off his skate for the Duke’s first goal as an Islander.


WELCOME TO THE ISLAND ANTHONY DUCLAIR! #Isles lead 1-0 pic.twitter.com/6dlQeyBPUL— Isles Territory (@IslesTerritory) October 11, 2024




Duclair had the gentlest of passing contact with Hot Chicks goalie Connor Ingram, but it was outside the crease and affected nothing, so it was a head-scratching decision to challenge for goalie interference. Utah lost the challenge quickly, and the Isles went back on the power play.
Kyle Palmieri nearly made it 2-0 when Ingram went behind the net to play a phantom puck that instead caromed to the slot; but Palmieri was careful to lift the shot over a diving defender, and that took enough time for Ingram to get an arm out for a save as he sprawled back into the crease.
The Islanders received a third power play but did not convert; meanwhile, Utah got its first call on a rare Alex Romanov with 1:43 left in the period. The Hibernian Cats were as quick with the extra man as they had been at 5-on-5, using a cross-ice pass to reshape the Isles’ box and set up an open one-timer from the slot to tie the game at 1-1.
Second Period: Still searching
The second period started a little more evenly, but the Horse Chickens still had more active offense.
And the second half was a return to frustration. Past the halfway point, Utah hemmed the Isles in for another long stretch — over two-minute shifts for Adam Pelech and Kyle Palmieri — that ended with the go-ahead goal off a point shot from Mikhail Sergachev. About a minute before that (and the same shift), Sean Durzi nearly scored after completely spinning Pelech around and walking in alone on Varlamov.
Third Period: Pulse returns
The top line had a great early shift to tie the game early in the third. Noah Dobson and Mathew Barzal each played a role in holding the puck in the zone and recycling. Dobson creeped in and passed to Duclair behind the net, where he paused before saucering a sweet pass to Bo Horvat in the low slot, where he scored inside the far post.
Then the Simon Holmstrom - JG Pageau PK combo struck again to give the Isles a 3-2 lead. Pageau busted out of the zone to chase down a clear, while Homstrom sprinted even faster to present himself for a chance. Holmstrom’s redirect didn’t go in, but he kept the puck alive and Pageau followed up to shovel it in.
But the Islanders PK again failed to prevent a goal against. The Happy Campers moved the puck cross ice quickly again and set up a tying goal by Dylan Guenther, already his third of the season.
The Isles had a golden opportunity to take back control of the game when Ian Cole went off four minutes for high sticking Anders Lee off a draw. Oddly, Andre Tourigny was jawing at Lee — something Thomas Hickey noticed and shared on the broadcast — when Lee did nothing but suffer a wound.
But the Isles couldn’t convert, despite some sustained possession and a couple decent chances. The Utah Head Coach-is-an-Assholes survived Cole’s carelessness.
For a moment, it looked like Maxim Tsyplakov was going to have an epic debut, as he combined with Brock Nelson and Kyle Palmieri on a rink-length rush to snap home the go-ahead goal with just 2:07 left in regulation.


Welcome to the National, Maxim Tsyplakov! #Isles pic.twitter.com/YCOKOrSPa4— Rob Taub (@RTaub_) October 11, 2024




But the Isles blew it. A pretty routine counterattack became a brutal equalizer after Noah Dobson got mixed up on coverage at the defensive blueline, allowing Son of Doan to receive a pass and walk in alone to slip the puck past Varlamov. The Herbal Cheetos had tied it at 4-4 just 13 seconds after the Isles took the lead, and with 1:54 left.
Overtime
The extra period provided some rushes for both teams at 3-on-3, but the Ghosts of Yotes got the last laugh on a 3-on-1 rush, that became a 3-on-2 rush, with Guenther accepting the pass as the high man and snapping it home.
Questions & Answers
How was Scott Mayfield in his return to full health?
Well, he was mobile at least. But he gifted an early prime Utah scoring chance with an unpressured, misaimed bank-pass for partner Mike Reilly that ended up caroming off Varlamov’s goal. Thankfully, Varly stopped the resulting chance from the slot.
On the penalty kill, it’s tough to gauge his return, as the Horrible Cottonballs made such quick work on their first power play chance, and Mayfield wasn’t out there when they converted the next one to make it 3-3.
How was Maxim Tsyplakov in his debut?
The Russian rookie continued to flash some offensive creativity, notably some work behind the net, some pull-ups in the zone — one that set up the trailing Adam Pelech — and some combos with Brock Nelson.
He also tried to force some low-angle, KHL-style shots. Don’t know how productive he’ll be but he should be fun to watch. He and Nelson seem to have some good offensive understanding of one another.
Oh...and there was that goal.
How was last season’s worst PK in the league?
Um, yeah, it went 0-for-2. So...still needs some work.
Moment of Zen
Lighthouse, baby.


OMG #Isles pic.twitter.com/Nw38caWzpq— (@IslesFix) October 10, 2024



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