One Big Takeaway From Bruins’ Back-And-Forth Loss To Islanders

BOSTON — In the battle to end respective three-game losing streaks, the Bruins fell to the New York Islanders in a 5-4 overtime loss at TD Garden Sunday night.

Boston fell to 20-17-5 while New York improved 15-18-7.

The Bruins entered on fumes for their third game in four days off a pair of tough losses to start 2025. Sunday’s night quickly came down to physicality and quick answers. Boston and New York combined for 45 hits and 41 blocked shots.

From the scoring side, the Islanders found success in a bunch in the first period. Cole Koepke put the Bruins on the board first before a pair of goals from Bo Horvat and Ryan Pulack shot past Boston goaltender Joonas Korpisalo to flip the lead. All three of the goals came in the first six minutes of the game.

The teams traded goals in the second period with Anders Lee and Justin Brazeau lighting the lamp. The minutes in between came with contested opportunities in the offensive zone with two teams grueling to end losing streaks.

The third period brought more of that energy when Lee deked his way around Korpisalo to finish with a backhanded flick for his second goal of the night (he originally had credit for Pulack’s goal).

Sure enough, the Bruins cut the deficit again when David Pastrnak ripped a one-timer for a response score less than a minute after Lee’s move. Boston’s point-leader followed that up eight minutes later with perfect positioning outside the crease for a timely tip off the feed from Pavel Zacha.

The final response came in overtime when an advantageous rebounding bounce sent Bo Horvat on a breakaway. Korpisalo got a piece of the shot before the puck trickled into the net to deliver the victory for the Islanders. Ultimately, New York benefited from two days of rest to earn the win in Boston.

The Bruins return to action Tuesday night to host the Edmonton Oilers. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. ET. You can catch the game, plus an hour of pregame coverage, on NESN.