ST. LOUIS — There was a certain predictability to the Islanders’ latest win. And the Blues’ latest loss.
The Blues expectedly came out skating hard after management took them to task for their poor play. The Islanders weathered the push for the most part and, buoyed, they followed with a four-goal second period.
It finished in a 5-2 victory for the Islanders — with two potential goals overturned for the Blues — on Thursday night at Enterprise Center as they extended their winning streak to five. They can sweep this three-game Midwestern swing against the Red Wings on Saturday afternoon.
The Blues (3-6-0) lost their sixth straight and are tied for the fewest points in the NHL with six.
Ilya Sorokin made 32 saves for the Islanders (7-4-0) while Jordan Binnington stopped 25 shots.
The Islanders reversed the Blues’ early momentum quickly in the second period as Kyle Palmieri deflected defenseman Noah Dobson’s shot just 14 seconds in to tie the game at 1.
Dobson then used his stick to prevent defenseman Niko Mikkola from being sprung for a breakaway coming out of the penalty box as the Islanders skated five-on-three. That led to Brock Nelson converting Anders Lee’s feed to the post for a power-play tally to make it 2-1 at 5:06 as he extended his goal streak to four games.
Josh Bailey, diving to tuck the puck in at the left post, made it 3-1 at 7:05. Lee upped that to 4-1 at 10:18 as he was open in the slot. Nelson earned his 400th career point with the primary assist and Anthony Beauvillier notched his 100th career assist with the secondary helper.
Lee completed his Gordie Howe hat trick (goal, assist, fight) by beating up Mikkola at 12:45 of the second period.
Ex-Islanders defenseman Nick Leddy’s apparent goal from the left circle at 15:19 of the second period following a scramble at the crease was waved off as Islanders coach Lane Lambert successfully challenged for goalie interference.
The Blues also had a goal waved off at 5:44 of the third period on another scramble at the crease. Islanders defenseman Scott Mayfield got his body on Jake Neighbours, who knocked the net off its moorings just before the puck, off of Neighbors’ skate, crossed the goal line.
Robert Thomas’ power-play shot did deflect in off Mayfield to bring the Blues within 4-2 at 8:40 but Jean-Gabriel Pageau added an empty-netter.
Blues coach Craig Berube had questioned his team’s effort after Monday’s 5-1 loss to the visiting Kings.
The next day, Blues general manager Doug Armstrong met with the players, then told the media in St. Louis the team lacked a competitive edge. Armstrong also issued a vote of confidence for Berube, who led the Blues to the Stanley Cup in 2019.
Not surprisingly, the Blues were a motivated team to start the game.
Sorokin had to be sharp to deny Ryan O’Reilly’s tip attempt just 55 seconds in and Vladimir Tarasenko’s slap shot from the slot at 2:18 of the first period. The Blues then hemmed Casey Cizikas’ line with Matt Martin and Cal Clutterbuck in the defensive zone for about 90 seconds with defenseman Alexandar Romanov’s shift lasting 2:27.
The Blues, after the Islanders killed off Oliver Wahlstrom’s tripping penalty, finally took a 1-0 lead at 8:17 as Tarasenko got open off the right post to deposit the carom of defenseman Torey Krug’s point shot off the backboards.
Sorokin kept it a one-goal deficit by stretching out his right pad to deny Neighbours at the post at 15:24.
It was enough to get the Islanders to the second period. And, somewhat predictably, turn the game.
