Boston Bruins fall in extra time again, lose 3-2 in shootout vs Islanders

There’s one question to ask after this game: will the Boston Bruins ever win a shootout?

At this point, the Boston Bruins might as well decline the shootout and go home with only the one point. The Bruins yet again failed to earn the extra point after regulation, this time in a shootout to the New York Islanders.

Bruins vs Islanders Game Recap

The Bruins went ahead in the first period thanks to a goal from Anders Bjork. He took a nice feed from linemate Charlie Coyle and then rifled a shot upstairs for his fifth goal of the season.

Bjork was one of Boston’s most impressive forwards on the night. He generated a number of chances, including one that Islanders goalie Semyon Varlamov absolutely robbed.

Old friend Johnny Boychuk tied the game at one in the second period, and then he had a great assist on Matt Barzal‘s go-ahead goal. Again, the Bruins finished the second period behind on the scoreboard.

Fortunately, the Bruins finally capitalized on a power play. Torey Krug scored only seven seconds into a 5 on 3 opportunity to tie the game at two.

For the second game in a row, the Bruins headed to overtime with a chance to grab the extra point and send the fans home happy. This was not to be on Thursday night.

Bruins can’t capitalize on overtime and shootout chances

Boston and New York traded chances in the five-minute overtime session. After an opening faceoff win, the Bruins maintained possession for almost two minutes. All this, however, resulted in a half-chance by Brad Marchand.

The Islanders then came back with a few chances of their own, but Tuukka Rask was up to the task. His best save of overtime can when Barzal spun around and found an open teammate in the slot. Rask casually made the save and controlled the rebound.

After a scoreless overtime, the game headed to a shootout. The Bruins haven’t had any success on the shootout this season, and Thursday night’s game was no different.

The Islanders scored on their first two attempts, and then David Pastrnak got one back for Boston. Rask then made a big save to give his teammates a chance, but Marchand couldn’t take advantage. The Bruins once against lost in the shootout.

These overtime and shootout losses are nothing new for the Bruins. In 10 extra-time games this year, Boston only has two wins. The Bruins are now 2-3 in overtime and 0-5 in shootouts.

In total, the Bruins left eight points on the table in extra time. This hasn’t come back to bite them yet given their place in the standings, but it might matter closer to the end of the season. What if the Bruins finish a few points behind Washington and lose home-ice in a potential playoff series?

The Bruins are now 0-0-2 on their four-game homestand. While it’s good to see the Bruins earn points in both games, they need to find a way to win.

Boston will have another chance for a home victory Saturday night against the Nashville Predators.