Islanders Overwhelmed in Ottawa

Ottawa celebrates after one of their five goals (Photo by Andre Ringuette/NHLI via Getty Images)

          The Islanders lost ground in the playoff race, after a crushing 5-2 loss in Ottawa, Sunday night.  
          The Islanders now have a record of 26-28-8 with sixty points.  That's eight points behind the eighth place Winnipeg Jets.
          The Islanders got off to a fast start in this one, scoring just forty-nine seconds into the game.  John Tavares and P.A. Parenteau had a two on one and Tavares was able to fire a wrist shot through the pads of Ottawa goalie, Robin Lehner.  It was Tavares' twenty-fifth goal of the season.  
          The second period saw Ottawa come out looking like a completely different team than in the first.  They controlled much of the play and kept the Islanders in their own zone for most of the period.  The Islanders downfall came when they took two penalties, just five minutes apart from each other.  Ottawa was able to capitalize on both of the opportunities the Isles gave them.  
          David Ullstrom would take a high sticking penalty at the 10:42 mark.  On the ensuing power play Milan Michalek was able to bury a backhander five hole on Evgeni Nabokov, for his twenty-eighth on the year.  Just four minutes and twenty-two seconds later PA Parenteau would take a tripping penalty.  Jason Spezza would capitalize on the power play, blasting a slap shot over the left shoulder of Nabokov, to make it 2-1.  It was Spezza's twenty-eighth as well.  
          The third was much of the same for the Islanders.  Ottawa seemed to have a step on them everywhere on the ice.  And it showed when at the 5:13 mark of the frame, Mike Mottau threw a blind pass to Frans Nielsen, which was taken by Ottawa's Chris Neil.  Neil would leave it behind for teammate Jim O'Brien who wristed a shot over the glove of Nabokov to make it 3-1.  The Islanders would regain a little confidence when at the 9:04 mark PA Parenteau was able to get one by the pads of Lehner to bring the Islanders back to within a goal.  The hope was short lived, because just four minutes later Neil was able to tip one out of mid-air by Nabokov, increasing Ottawa's lead once again.  Ottawa would ice the game when with just two minutes left Kyle Turris would hit the empty net and give Ottawa the 5-2 victory.
          This was the first of a four game road trip for the Isles.  The next stop on their trip is a visit to the Capital, for a contest against Washington.  Puck drop is 7PM.