UNIONDALE, N.Y. — The first place New York Islanders.
Those were the words that reverberated across the Nassau Coliseum on Sunday afternoon as the Islanders defeated the Anaheim Ducks 3-0. A pair of goals from Cal Clutterbuck and a late second-period tally from Leo Komarov was all the Islanders needed to extend their hold on the Metropolitan Division lead to three points.
The game never appeared in doubt as the Islanders picked up their fifth consecutive win and 15th victory in their last 18 games. The afternoon win was also the third straight game the Islanders held an opponent to fewer than 20 shots.
“I liked our get up and go,” Islanders coach Barry Trotz said. “We talked about making sure we just started on time. We just made sure we jumped on this team. We knew that they played yesterday, they played well. They’re playing OK and we just may have to play the right way. I was glad about the response we had.”
For the second time in as many games, the Islanders were clearly the better team and controlled the play for most of the 60 minute affair. The home side skated circles around the Ducks in the first period and spent a majority of the time in the Ducks’ end.
The Islanders had 12 of their total 28 shots in the first period alone on Sunday. And Robin Lehner was kept to a light workload, while only having to make a handful of tough saves.
The Islanders have only surrendered three goals over their last five games and have not let up a goal against in 132:53.
“I think we’ve done a good job top to bottom,” Ryan Pulock said. “Forwards have been smart with pucks in the neutral zone. D-men have been battling in front and goalies have been making saves when we’ve needed them. We’ve just been sticking to our game for 60 minutes and that’s key for us.”
Clutterbuck’s pair of goals in the first 9:56 were essentially all the Islanders needed to win. The two-goal night was Clutterbuck’s first this season and the first time since January 4, 2018, in Philadelphia that the forward had recorded a multi-goal game.
Clutterbuck has goals in his last two games and has seven points in his last nine games. He nearly recorded a hat trick on Sunday, but his second-period chance went wide of the net.
“Kind of had a snack bitten start of the year, even from halfway through last year I couldn’t seem to find the back of the net,” Clutterbuck said. “It’s been nice to break through and have a couple here.”
As has become customary, Nassau Coliseum was rocking on Sunday night as the fans welcomed home an Islander team in sole possession of first place in their division. The chants of “first-place Islanders” were heard throughout the night and grew louder as the third period progressed and victory appeared all but certain.
The fans also serenaded Trotz with a chant of his own in the final period and after the game.
“Trust me it’s us,” Trotz said when asked about his name being chanted. “It’s staff and everybody. I’m the beautiful face you have to look at every day and talk to, but it’s all good. You can see the passion in this place. It’s great in this rink and the fans, and the passion on the Island.”
Clutterbuck’s first goal at 4:50 of the first period sent the sell out crowd into a frenzy as the Islanders took a 1-0 lead off a power-play goal. He added to that lead at 9:56 when he buried a rebound shot from the point to put the Islanders ahead by three.
Komarov rounded out the scoring with his sixth goal of the season at 19:31 of the second period.
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