ELMONT, N.Y. — There was no stirring comeback this time. Instead, the Islanders were shut out for the second time in four games.
The Coyotes won 2-0 on Thursday night at UBS Arena as the Islanders lost for just the second time in nine games.
They avoided losses by rallying from two-goal deficits entering the third period in both Monday night’s 4-3 overtime win over the visiting Flames and Tuesday night’s 4-3 win over the Rangers at Madison Square Garden. That was after Saturday’s 3-0 road loss to the Red Wings.
The Islanders (9-6-0) lost in regulation at home to the Coyotes for the first time in 12 games.
Karel Vejmelka made 24 saves for his second career shutout as the Coyotes (6-6-1) won their third straight to open a 14-game road trip, tied for the longest in NHL history. The Islanders missed 23 shots.
Ilya Sorokin stopped 27 shots after shutting out the Coyotes the first two times he faced them in his career.
The Coyotes finally took a 1-0 lead on Travis Boyd’s power-play goal at the post at 1:00 of the third period. That ended Sorokin’s career-long shutout streak against the Coyotes at 161:00. Jack McBain added an empty-netter.
The Islanders, who went 3-for-5 on the power play over their last two games and had at least one power-play goal in four of their last five games, could not convert on two first-period man advantages though those power play opportunities generated four of their eight shots over the opening 20 minutes.
Mathew Barzal missed a wide open look at the net on the power play at 7:13 of the third period and both Barzal and Brock Nelson could not hit the net on good looks earlier on that power play.
Defenseman Ryan Pulock hit the post at 1:52 of the second period but, otherwise, the Coyotes played stronger along the walls and outshot the Islanders, 9-3, in the middle frame. Per Natural Stat Trick, the Islanders did not generate a high-danger chance in the second period while the Coyotes had six.
Matt Martin, who had career fight No. 99 per hockeyfights.com against defenseman Josh Brown at 5:16 of the first period, hit the post from a sharp angle on the right at 3:37 of the third period.
Sorokin stoned Nick Bjugstad on a two-on-one rush at 11:29 of the second period, then made an acrobatic glove save on Bjugstad’s rebound attempt. Sorokin also denied Jack McBain on an odd-man rush at 9:10 of the second period then got luck as Christian Fischer, with a look at an open net on the rebound to the right, could not connect with the puck.
So the Islanders went to the third period tied for the first time this season. And, it follows, with neither team having scored through two periods.
