CALGARY, AB — Game Recap
After a comeback victory in Edmonton, the Islanders arrived in Calgary, where they excelled in advanced stats but ultimately lost the game 4-2 to the Flames.
Now, it wouldn’t quite capture the essence to say they really struggled—perhaps “lackluster” is a better fit. The Islanders were unusually careless with the puck, and unfortunately, it got worse as the game progressed, particularly in their defensive zone, which was a stark contrast to two days prior.
Even though they generated some scoring opportunities, by the end of the second period, it was clear that Roy was trying to shake things up in the top six, looking for a spark.
By this point, the Islanders were already down 4-1, having allowed three goals in the second period, which shifted the momentum firmly in Calgary’s favor.
Just over three minutes into the second, Roy began to pull back on Ritchie’s ice time after Adam Klapka screened Cal Ritchie and redirected Kevin Bahr’s shot into the net.
Then, Justin Kirkland and Jan Kuznetsov found the score sheet at 9:50 and 11:49 of that period—just a minute and fifty-nine seconds apart. Kirkland capitalized on a 2-on-1 following a turnover by Matt Barzal, and the Islanders were surprisingly slow to react. Kuznetsov took charge, scoring amid a crowd of players.
After Kuznetsov put one on the board, making it 4-0, Jean-Gabriel Pageau managed to get one back for the Islanders, but honestly, the best chance for them to take anything from the game slipped away earlier on.
Egor Sharangovich made the most of a first-period rush, capitalizing when the Islanders faltered in their defensive duties, and that was a trend throughout the game. Calgary took full advantage, with Anderson setting up Sharangovich for a decent shot.
As the third period rolled around, the Islanders lacked any real sense of urgency. With just eight minutes remaining, Roy pulled the goalie for an empty-net chance, which led to Anders Lee scoring—a moment of relief, marking his 300th career goal, snapping a nine-game scoring drought.
They did manage to secure a power play afterward, which could have intensified matters for Calgary’s bench, but nothing came of it.
Roy was torn about maintaining his top six against Edmonton but chose to stick with them. It’s interesting because although Ritchie has moments of brilliance—like his assist in the previous game—the fatigue of being a rookie seems to be catching up to him.
No one’s placing the blame squarely on Ritchie today, but he didn’t shine in his first start in three games, and he only stopped six out of ten shots while the game spiraled.
The impact of losing a winnable match like this could be painful in the standings. With a game later against the Hurricanes, the Islanders risk falling seven points behind Carolina for the top spot in the Metropolitan Division.
But there’s a glimmer of hope ahead; with Vancouver and Seattle as the final two stops before heading home, they need to finish strong on this road trip, ideally winning both games. A return to Long Island is on the horizon, and a healthy Bo Horvat is expected to be waiting for them.
