BOSTON — Ilya Sorokin made an impressive 38 saves to help steer the New York Islanders to a 2-1 victory over the Boston Bruins on Thursday night. Alexander Romanov and Kyle Palmieri each contributed with a goal to end the Islanders’ recent four-game losing skid.
Boston’s sole goal came courtesy of David Pastrnak, narrowing the game to a one-goal affair with just under 10 minutes to play. The Bruins attempted a late comeback by pulling goaltender Jeremy Swayman in the final 90 seconds, but their efforts fell short, and overtime eluded them. Swayman managed 18 saves as the Bruins experienced their fifth consecutive loss, a streak that continued after the NHL resumed play following the 4-Nations Face-off tournament.
Despite being outshot 39-20, the Islanders capitalized expertly on their opportunities. Romanov scored his fourth goal of the season during a 2-on-1 break immediately after a penalty against him concluded. Palmieri netted his 18th goal by capitalizing on a rebound after a Brock Nelson initial shot, further boosting New York’s lead.
The Bruins faced additional challenges as recently they’ve come off back-to-back overtime losses and also dealt with losing Matt Poitras to an injury during the late stages of the second period. Poitras went down hard by the entrance to New York’s bench, adding to Boston’s woes as they were already without Trent Frederic, who sustained a lower-body injury against Toronto on Tuesday.
A crucial moment came when Kyle Palmieri scored at 4:21 of the second period, extending the Islanders’ lead to two goals. Just before this, Boston’s Pavel Zacha missed a prime scoring opportunity, failing to convert a breakaway that could have equalized the match at one apiece. Instead, Palmieri’s goal deepened the Bruins’ deficit, leading to discontent among the TD Garden crowd.
For a symbolic milestone, Pastrnak’s third-period goal marked his 31st of the season and was the 800th point of his career.
Looking ahead, both teams will see action again on Saturday. The Islanders are set to host Nashville, while Boston will head to Pittsburgh for their next challenge.
