Inconsistency has marred the Islanders all season and it nearly did again Thursday night.
Despite blowing an early two-goal lead, the Islanders avoided disappointment by scoring three third-period goals to wiggle past the Hurricanes, 6-4, in an uneven performance at Barclays Center that mirrored their up-and-down season.
A troubling second period, in which the Islanders allowed three goals, was something coach Doug Weight found troubling.
“We’ve been able to pull through some of these games [by] relying on and getting away with some things,” Weight said. “The second period we got away from everything we did well.”
The second period disrupted the Islanders’ first-period momentum as they played flat early on. The Islanders were pinned deep in their end by the Hurricanes, who scored two goals on sloppy clearances and subpar goaltending by Thomas Greiss. He had 29 saves on the night, but allowed too many rebounds, none more costly than the one at 11:19 of the second period when Derek Ryan slid a second chance under him to tie the score at 3-3. Sebastian Aho added a goal just before the end of the period to give the Huricanes the lead.
“We have to get better at being consistent for 60 minutes,” said rookie Mathew Barzal, who had a goal and two assists.
The Islanders were bailed out in the third period when the red-hot Josh Bailey, who also had an assist and now has 20 points on the season, tapped the puck in on the power play at 7:22 and tied score at 4-4. Johnny Boychuk grabbed the winner with an shot near the glass at 15:35 before Jordan Eberle scored his seventh goal of the season on an empty-netter at 18:42.
“We got back to [our game] in the third,” Weight said.
The Islanders grabbed a two-goal cushion in the first when they found ways to score despite Carolina bottling them up in their own end. Goals from Barzal at 16:21 in the first helped get the Islanders some momentum before Cal Clutterbuck added short-handed score past Hurricanes goalie Scott Darling just 36 seconds later to make it 2-0.
The Hurricanes got one back on the power play thanks to a tip-in by center Elias Lindholm, but Islanders defenseman Nick Leddy powered one off Darling’s glove before the end of the first to give the Islanders six opening-period goals in their last two games.
While the Islanders remained undefeated at home (6-0-2), and Weight found some positives in the performance, he said it concerned him that his team was not able to play solid for 60 minutes.
“They can be so much better,” Weight said. “They as in we. We’re getting there … but it is frustrating.”