In Uniondale, the New York Islanders needed a solid or fall to a two-game deficit to the Boston Bruins.
On Saturday, the Isles got that complete game with a 4-1 win in Game 4, good enough to knot the series at 2-2 heading back to Boston for Game 5.
“When you can get a little bit of momentum and not give the other team a chance to get some momentum, that’s huge,” New York head coach Barry Trotz said. “… I liked our whole game. They’re a [heck] of a hockey team, there’s no question. They’re very talented, they’ve got some exceptional people on their team. I thought we played our game. We checked well, we competed at a high level, and we got things done.”
Mathew Barzal put the Islanders up 2-1 late in the third period, the goal proved to be the game-winner with just under seven left left in regulation.
“We go down 3-1 to these guys heading back to TD Garden, that’s a death sentence,” Barzal said. “That was a huge game for us tonight. Just everyone brought it. Everyone was involved somehow, whether it was scoring or hitting or playing good defense, just everyone was doing something positive. That’s why we won.”
Semyon Varlamov made 28 saves in the win.
Game 5 is set for Boston on Monday night.
After a scoreless first period, David Krejci scored off the power play to give Boston a 1-0 lead.
The Islanders tied the game three minutes later when Kyle Palmieri potted his fifth goal of the playoffs.
“We’re two teams that want to win,” Palmieri said. “Our fans were into it. We just want to go out there and compete. … We’re just going to continue to play our game, and it was nice to get the win.”
Barzal had an assist on the Palmieri goal.
David Pastrnak missed an open net late with a chance to tie the game.
“That’s where you know that it might be tough night for us tonight in terms of getting things to go our way when your best player hits the post on an open net and it just kind of sits there,” Boston head coach Bruce Cassidy said. “It’s going to be one of those nights where you’re going to probably not get breaks, so you’re going to have to go earn them yourself.”
Casey Cizikas and Jean-Gabriel Pageau scored empty-net goals to ice the win for New York.
Tuukka Rask made 30 saves in the lo9ss.
“I think it has been like expected,” Rask said. “If you look at the style of hockey they play throughout the year, they play a hard game, heavy game, and there’s not any real estate out there. So I think it’s been kind of like everybody expected it. I think the physicality has just gotten more and more intense as the series has gone on.
“I think it’s a tight series. Another tight game today. Like it’s been in the previous games, time and space it’s tight out there, and scoring chances are tough to come by. Like the game-winning goal again, it was one of those kind of bounces here and there, and it hits the back of the net. So it’s 2-2.”
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