It couldn't have looked, or gone, worse for the Islanders on Tuesday night.
James Neal scored four goals, two on the power play, for the Oilers in their 5-2 win at NYCB Live's Nassau Coliseum. The defense, the goaltending and the physical play were all too soft for the Islanders as they concluded a season-opening three-game homestand.
It's way too soon to make long-term proclamations on the Islanders' season. But one question mark after last season's playoff-qualifying success was whether the goaltending would be as good with Semyon Varlamov stepping in for Vezina Trophy finalist Robin Lehner. The Islanders, with Lehner and Thomas Greiss, allowed the fewest goals in the NHL last season as they were aided by a solid defensive structure.
True, the Oilers skated with ease into the Islanders' zone on Tuesday. But Varlamov, pulled after allowing four goals on 19 shots, couldn't make the big stop to turn the momentum. Varlamov also allowed a soft goal to the Capitals' Jakub Vrana as the Islanders (1-2-0) lost their season opener, 2-1, on Friday.
There were other culprits for sure. Center Brock Nelson took six minutes of penalties in the first period and wound up benched for a stretch in the second period.
Ex-Islander farmhand Mikko Koskinen stopped 25 shots for the Oilers (3-0-0), who opened a four-game road trip.
The Islanders' best moment came long after the game was out of reach as 19-year-old defenseman Noah Dobson, the 12th overall pick in 2018 making his NHL debut, set up Matt Martin's goal at the crease to bring the Islanders within 5-2 at 13:32 of the third period.
The Islanders' play ranged from mediocre to dreadful even though they briefly held a 1-0 lead on Anthony Beauvillier's first career shorthanded goal at 14:14 of the first period. Leo Komarov, with his third assist in three games, set up the play by breaking up a pass in the neutral zone.
But Neal scored the first of his two goals in the period with a blast from the right circle at 17:53 after Derick Brassard essentially teed up a one-timer for his opponent by losing the puck under pressure in the high slot.
The Oilers then went on a four-minute power play at 18:42 after Nelson drew blood with a high stick on defenseman Oscar Klefbom in the Oilers' zone. Neal beat a poorly-positioned Varlamov to the far post from the right with 30.3 seconds left for a 2-1 lead.
Nelson also was whistled for interference on Connor McDavid earlier in the period and also had two minor penalties in Friday's loss to the Capitals, the second leading to T.J. Oshie's second-period winner on the power play.
Neal completed his natural hat trick with a second power-play goal at 6:31 of the second period, redirecting Leon Draisaitl's feed to the crease. This time, it was Beauvillier in the box for cross-checking defenseman Darnell Nurse, a retaliation penalty after Nurse threw a hard shoulder check that leveled Komarov.
Nelson was on the penalty kill for Neal's second power-play but Trotz then sat him for nearly nine minutes, double shifting Mathew Barzal into Nelson's spot between Josh Bailey and Michael Dal Colle and also using him in Brassard's spot between Beauvillier and Komarov while Brassard centered Anders Lee and Jordan Eberle.
Nothing worked and Varlamov was pulled after McDavid and Draisaitl brought the puck up ice unhindered and Zack Kassian made it 4-1 at 8:46 of the second period.
Neal made that 5-1 at 6:51 of the third period with a shot that trickled through Greiss following a neutral-zone turnover.
