BOSTON _ In the latest episode of Parity Theater, the Islanders and Bruins showed that the difference between any two teams on any given night in the current National Hockey League is almost nothing.
Nothing is pretty much what Islanders goalie Robin Lehner allowed all night before Ryan Donato beat him in the fourth round of a shootout, giving the Bruins a 2-1 win.
As it was, it was a solid point on a strong 35-save game for Lehner. It just wasn't a win, which can be hard to come by.
The Islanders briefly celebrated 1:13 into overtime when Mathew Barzal put the puck in the Bruins net. But the goal was disallowed when the referee ruled that Anthony Beauvillier had crashed into goalie Tuukka Rask. It was just another sign that every inch is hard fought in a very balanced league.
"There's not an easy game," Barry Trotz said after the Islanders morning skate. "Back 10 years ago, 12 years ago, there were easy games. Every game is a potential playoff matchup, almost."
Teams keep defying logic and exceeding expectations, as the Islanders have. For that matter, so have the Bruins, playing well despite injuries to Zdeno Chara, Patrice Bergeron and Charlie McAvoy (the latter is out with a concussion, but has skated recently). They have not had an easy season.
Early in the first period Thursday, it was the Islanders' turn to take a hit. Not quite eight minutes into the game, Beauvillier blocked a shot that caught him so sharply that he literally crawled off the ice.
Trotz had to shuffle lines after that. It just so happened that at 12:17 of the first period, Anders Lee was taking an extra shift in Beauvillier's place on Mathew Barzal's left. With a Bruins penalty upcoming, the Islanders kept pressing. The puck bounced to Lee, at the right edge of Rask's crease. Lee jammed it home for a 1-0 lead that held up for the rest of the period. Beauvillier was back for the start of the second.
The game was just as closely contested then, as many are in the current NHL. "Organizations see the trends. It's just evolution, of young players, of coaching at all levels," Trotz said. "Right now, there's a lot of parity in the league."
On any given night, the difference between winning and losing can be subtle. That makes every power play opportunity vital and every missed extra-man chance that much more frustrating. When the Islanders failed to convert on Noel Acciari's tripping penalty at 8:05 of the second, it extended their drought to 12 attempts in six games.
It seemed that much more glaring at 12:09, only 26 seconds into Nick Leddy's high-sticking penalty. David Pastrnak, who entered tied for the league lead with 19 goals, this time made a sharp backhand pass and Brad Marchand ripped home a one-timer from the low right circle to tie the score.
The starting time was an hour later than usual because the Bruins retired the jersey of Rick Middleton, who flourished after being acquired from the Rangers for Ken Hodge. Middleton later was Bruins captain under coach Butch Goring.
The Islanders make their return to Nassau Coliseum on Saturday night to face the Columbus Blue Jackets in the first of 21 games this season at their old barn.
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