ANAHEIM, Calif. – That lightning hot offensive streak of a week ago papered over plenty of the Anaheim Ducks’ defensive cracks, which have suddenly morphed into canyons as the goals have dried up.
The New York Islanders scored four in the second period through a porous Ducks defense, and Simon Holmström finished off a hat trick past Lukáš Dostál, as Anaheim was cratered, 6-2, on Saturday at Honda Center.
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Anaheim (10-9-1, 21 points) has scored just four goals in back-to-back losses after scoring 26 goals in a five-game winning streak and five or more goals in eight straight games.
Nikita Nesterenko chased down a loose puck in front for the Ducks’ opening goal in the second period, 2-1, and Cutter Gauthier continued his historic goal-scoring streak later in the middle frame. Gauthier carved out space alone in front, and Tristan Luneau sent in the hard feed for the deflection, 5-2.
Gauthier tied 1998-99 Teemu Selanne for the second-longest goal-scoring streak in franchise history. Selanne also owns the longest streak in team history at 11 games (1997-98).
Ben Hutton was the beneficiary of a double deflection off Ducks sticks just under two minutes into the game, but the Islanders were off to the race in the second period, as wheels came off for Anaheim’s defense.
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Bo Horvat netted a one-timer six seconds into the first power play of the game, 2-0. Simon Holmstrom scored his first of two 25 seconds after the Ducks’ first goal from Nesterenko, as he finished a two-on-one with Matthew Schaefer.
Holmstrom scored a second five minutes later, as Dostál was slid into by Leo Carlsson, and Mitchell Chaffee put in the Islanders’ fifth, as Schaefer flew the zone for another two-on-one.
Holmstrom finished off the hat trick with a one-on-one beat of Dostál’s glove in the third period, 6-2.
Lukáš Dostál stopped 19 of 25 shots in his first start in over a week, when he was pulled after the first period in Calgary last Friday. Ville Husso was the back-up, as Laurent Brossoit was reassigned back to AHL San Diego yesterday.
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Brossoit–who won his first four starts of the five he made with the Ducks during their red hot offensive streak–was the only goalie waiver exempt, and thus he was not at risk for a claim by another team when being sent to the minors.
Semyon Varlamov made 26 saves for the Islanders.
Anaheim concludes its four-game homestand with the second half of a back-to-back against the Calgary Flames on Sunday before hitting the road for a four-game trip, which begins in St. Louis on Tuesday.
