Beauvillier’s hot streak can’t ignite Isles

Second-year wing scores twice, but Islanders fall 3-2 in OT to Arizona

January 23, 2018 By John Torenli, Sports Editor Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Anthony Beauvillier enjoyed his second straight two-goal game, but the Islanders suffered a 3-2 overtime loss to the Coyotes in Glendale, Arizona on Monday night. AP Photo by Ross D. Franklin

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Anthony Beauvillier has certainly turned over a new leaf in the New Year.

If only the rest of the New York Islanders could say the same.

Beauvillier continued his January scoring spree Monday night in Glendale, Arizona, but the Islanders resumed their ongoing malaise with a 3-2 overtime loss to the league-worst Coyotes in front of 11,707 fans at the Gila River Arena.

Beauvillier, who has been New York’s most prolific scorer since a three-game demotion to AHL Bridgeport at the start of 2018, tallied twice against Arizona, including the tying goal, his 12th of the season, at 2:53 of the third period.

But the Isles, who have been consistently outshot and outplayed during a 4-7-1 slide that threatens to leave them out of the playoffs for a second straight year, surrendered the game-winner to Nick Cousins at 2:21 of the extra session.

“It’s disappointing to leave here with one point,” admitted Beauvillier, who also evened the contest at 1-1 in the second period and has amassed an eye-popping eight goals and an assist over seven games since his recall to Brooklyn.

“We picked it up in the second and third [periods], we played a strong game,” he added. “But couldn’t capitalize on the chances we had. I thought we adjusted really well in that game.”

The Isles have spent the past month talking about how well they played for stretches of a game and how poor puck luck has cost them.

The truth is, they have yet to find the groove that saw them burst out of the gate with a 15-7-2 start to the campaign.

Beauvillier, who is only 20 and technically still qualifies as an NHL first-year player, has certainly done his share to pull New York out of its doldrums.

He has flourished alongside super rookie Mathew Barzal since his return from Bridgeport, scoring at least two goals three times since the promotion, including the past two contests.

Arizona, which is tied with Buffalo with an NHL-low 33 points this year, took it to the Isles from the opening faceoff Monday, a common trend during New York’s steady slide out of postseason position.

The Coyotes outshot the Isles, 14-3, in the opening 20 minutes, and New York didn’t manage a single shot on Arizona netminder Annti Raanta until more than halfway through the first period.

Fortunately, Jaroslav Halak managed to minimize the damage by stopping 13 of those attempts, with only Cousins’ first goal at the 12:20 mark eluding his grasp.

Beauvillier’s goal off an assist from Josh Bailey 34 seconds into the second period knotted the score, and appeared to give New York some jump as they outshot the Coyotes 31-19 the rest of the way.

But the Isles couldn’t solve Ranta after Beauvillier’s second score, a stuff home of his own rebound, forged a 2-2 tie in the third minute of the third stanza.

“They played really well early,” Isles head coach Doug Weight said of the Coyotes, who extended their season-best points run to five games.

“They swarmed us early and kept us out of a rhythm in the offensive zone,” Weight added. “Mid-second period on, we deserved a little better. We could have easily won the game. That’s the frustrating part.”

Deserving to win isn’t the same as actually finding a way to win, which is what the Isles (24-20-5, 53 points) must do if they are to avoid the fate that befell them last year.

New York overcame a sluggish start to the campaign by going 24-12-4 after Weight assumed coaching duties following the firing of Jack Capuano, only to fall a single point shy of the final postseason berth in the Eastern Conference.

Monday’s loss dropped New York into a three-way tie with defending two-time Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh and the archrival Rangers for the final wild-card spot in the East. But the Blueshirts hold a game in hand on the Isles.

“I didn’t hate our game,” Isles winger Jordan Eberle noted. “I know you look at the standings and you see the difference, but that’s a good hockey team. They’re playing loose. When you’re in this situation, you play loose and try to make plays and sometimes you’re a dangerous team.”

The Coyotes certainly were, and the Isles haven’t been for some time now.

Halak finished with 30 saves for New York, which will be back in action Thursday night in Las Vegas against the expansion Knights, who lead the Western Conference with 66 points and boast an 18-2-2 mark on home ice.

Isle Have Another: Shane Prince missed his second straight game with a lower-body injury and there is no update on his status for Thursday’s game in Vegas … Last season, Beauvillier finished with nine goals and 15 assists in 66 games. Thus far this year, he has 12 goals and four assists through 38 contests … Barzal was credited with an assist on Beauvillier’s second goal Monday night and continues to lead all NHL rookies with 50 points (16 goals and 34 assists) … Following their trip to Vegas, the Isles return home to host Florida next Tuesday at Downtown’s Barclays Center.