Islanders Can’t Solve Holtby, fall in Overtime

(Via ESPN)

On Sunday afternoon, the Isles won an emotional over time game three by the score of 2-1 to take a 2-1 series lead.  On Tuesday night, the Capitals did the exact same thing on Long Island.

The Islanders came out firing and were the better on ice team for much of the night but the difference was the play between the pipes.

Jaroslav Halak was solid, but allowed a long shot with a slight re-direction from Alex Ovechkin to get by and allowed the game winner from even further out when Niklas Backstrom found the twine on what can only be described as a soft goal.

Backstrom fired from just inside the blue line, and Halak didn’t react as he was presumably screened by Joel Ward who was parked in front.

In the third period, Cal Clutterbuck thought he had the go-ahead goal, but his effort glanced off the crossbar behind Brandon Holtby.

The Islanders unleashed 37 shots on Brandon Holtby, but Holtby stopped 36 of the attempts.  The only shot that got in his net was a rebound that Casey Czikas was able to put home.

The Islanders will need to break through for more than one in game 5 on Thursday.