Islanders' Anders Lee on win over NHL-best Avalanche: 'We can skate with anybody'
The Islanders and Colorado Avalanche mix at up after their game at UBS Arena on Thursday. Credit: Jim McIsaac
This wasn’t about Brock Nelson coming back to UBS Arena for the first time. It was about preventing the NHL-best Avalanche from coming back and avoiding their second regulation loss of the season.
“We proved it to ourselves that we can skate with anybody,” Anders Lee said. “We played a great hockey game, no doubt about it.”
The Islanders opened a four-goal lead in the second period on Thursday night before giving up two goals in 85 seconds to the most potent offense in the league, and the Avalanche continued to press after coming within two goals in the third period.
But the Islanders, with many of their dads or mentors in attendance for the start of their weekend trip to Tampa Bay and Florida, did enough to neutralize the Avalanche’s speed through the neutral zone. Then they clinched an impressive 6-3 win with a six-on-four penalty kill late in the third period to conclude a seven-game homestand with consecutive wins over the two conference leaders.
“It was just a good game all around, the whole 60 minutes,” said Mathew Barzal, who had a highlight-reel goal — stickhandling through the slot for a power-play backhander to make it 5-2 at 18:46 of the second period — and added two assists. “We just hung in there the whole game and buried our chances, something that probably cost us a game or two in the last week.”
The Islanders (15-10-3), who got 35 saves from a sharp Ilya Sorokin, also beat the Lightning, 2-1, on Tuesday after three straight losses in which they outshot their opponents.
The Avalanche (19-2-6), who gave up a season high in goals, had their point streak snapped at 17 games (14-0-3).
Nelson, traded to the Avalanche on March 6, had an assist and was given a first-period standing ovation during a video tribute highlighting his 13 seasons with the Islanders.
“[The neutral zone] was part of our meetings today,” said coach Patrick Roy, who earned his 200th coaching victory, including his tenure with the Avalanche from 2013-16. “We talked with the defense this morning about it and tonight before the game, and the guys were really good.
“We’ve been playing well in the neutral zone, forcing teams to dump the puck in. The key is not just force them to dump it. What brings a lot of confidence to the group is how we break out.”
All four lines played well, but Casey Cizikas’ fourth line — with Kyle MacLean and Marc Gatcomb drawing in with Max Tsyplakov having to take an injured Jonathan Drouin’s spot on Barzal’s line — was particularly effective in playing in the Avalanche’s zone. MacLean opened the scoring on a goal that survived a challenge of goalie interference against Gatcomb at 5:56 of the first period and Cizikas finally clinched it with an empty-netter.
“They played so hard,” Roy said. “They spent so much time [in the offensive zone], they were fun to watch.”
Barzal’s line also was productive after a subpar effort against the Lightning. Barzal was particularly decisive with the puck and Lee added a goal and an assist, matching Nelson for fifth on the franchise list with 295 goals as he lifted a wrister to make it 2-0 at 18:20 of the first period.
He did not chirp his ex-teammate about it. “By the time opportunity arose, I let it go,” Lee said. “But I guess it was funny he got to see it.”
Defenseman Adam Pelech’s first goal in 115 games off the glove of goalie Mackenzie Blackwood (36 saves) made it 4-0 at 7:59 of the second period after Bo Horvat connected from the slot at 6:58. But Valeri Nichushkin deflected defenseman Sam Malinski’s point shot at 8:39 of the second period and Martin Necas pulled the Avalanche within two goals at 10:04.
Artturi Lehkonen’s one-timer from a sharp angle brought the Avalanche within 5-3 at 1:27 of the third period.
Notes & quotes: Drouin (lower back) was a late scratch after participating in the morning skate and pregame warmups. Roy said he is day-to-day and will accompany the team for its weekend back-to-back . . . Jean-Gabriel Pageau (upper body) missed his sixth game but participated in the Islanders’ morning skate in a non-contact jersey for the second straight time, and Roy expects him to travel as well.
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.
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