Isles stumble in crucial home game, drop 4-3 to Blackhawks
The New York Islanders fell 4-3 to the Chicago Blackhawks at UBS Arena, badly hurting their playoff chances. After taking an early lead, New York wilted defensively, with turnovers and a lapse that allowed two-on-none breaks, including one sparked by a turnover from Mathew Barzal. Tony DeAngelo left with a lower-body injury, leaving the Isles shorthanded on the back end. Chicago built a 3-1 lead before the Isles rallied with goals from Simon Holmstrom and Cal Ritchie to cut it to 3-2, and a late six-on-four chance gave them hope, but Arvid Soderblom stopped 44 shots to hold on. The loss leaves New York below the playoff cut line with remaining games.
