Avalanche slide under pressure from balanced Islanders attack, lose 5-3

WHERE/WHEN

Monday, Nov. 30, 2015, Game 24, 5:00 pm MST
Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York

HIGHLIGHTS

GAME RUNDOWN ­

The Avalanche started strong, throwing shots on net throughout the period. Goalie Semyon Varlamov made a couple of key saves six minutes into the period and all four lines put pressure on the Islanders net. Blake Comeau scored the first goal of the game as he was falling. The Islanders went for a 12 minute stretch without a shot on goal. However, with less than a minute left in the period, Cody McLeod was called for tripping. Then, while battling the penalty kill, with 14 seconds left, Gabriel Landeskog crosschecked Islanders’ forward Kyle Okposo, who wreaked his revenge by scoring with one second left, ending the period locked in a 1-1 tie.

The Islanders started the second period finishing the power play. Carl Soderberg hustled well on both ends of the ice, getting a great scoring chance and later falling on the ice to block a set of shots. Six minutes in, Mikhail Grabovski scored off a takeway. Less than a minute later, Jarome Iginla notched his 597^th career goal. The game tied at two, the period ended with Soderberg sent to the box on a two minute tripping penalty.

The Islanders dominated the third period. Less than two minutes into the third, Cal Clutterbuck added a third goal to the Islanders tally. Casey Cizikas compounded the Islanders’ lead, hitting nothing but net six minutes later. With four minutes left, Coach Patrick Roy pulled Varlamov and then defenseman Nick Holden scored to bring the Avs within one goal of tying the game. With 45 seconds remaining, Ryan Strome threw the puck down the ice to notch an empty net goal and seal the Islanders win, 5-3 over the Avalanche.

PLAYERS OF THE GAME (3 Stars)

1. Cal Clutterbuck – 1 goal, 11:32 TOI
2. Casey Cizikas – 1 goal, 12:24 TOI
3. Ryan Strome – 1 goal, 1 assist, 11:33 TOI

PLAY OF THE GAME

Jarome Iginla scored his 597^th goal of his career midway through the second period.

TURNING POINT

The Colorado Avalanche played a strong first period, but the momentum shifted after Landeskog got a penalty near the end of the first, leaving the Avs outnumbered five to three on the ice and resulting in the tying goal for the Islanders. Despite playing on their heels most of the first, the Islanders came out of the period 1-1 and picked up momentum throughout the rest of the game.

QUOTE OF THE GAME

“It’s hard to win when you are giving…four goals on the road. We just need more from him (Varlamov)…” – Patrick Roy

LASTING IMPACT

The Colorado Avalanche really could have used a win to start their challenging four game road trip. It’s not going to get easier as they are going to face the New Jersey Devils tomorrow night, followed by games against the New York Rangers and the Minnesota Wild.

The Avalanche remain in seventh place in the Central Division, with only 19 points, ahead of only the Calgary Flames and the Edmonton Oilers in the Western Conference.

WHAT’S NEXT

The Colorado Avalanche face off against the New Jersey Devils tomorrow night for the second game of their four game road trip, playing at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, Dec. 1, 2015 at 5:00 pm MST.