The end is almost near for the Islanders.
Anton Forsberg stopped 28 shots to help the Blackhawks snap a five-game losing streak wit🅷h a 3-1ꦦ win over the Islanders on Saturday night at Barclays Center.
Patrick Kane and B𝔍randon Saad scored in the second period, and Brent Seabrook added an empty-nett🐈er for the Blackhawks.
John Tavares scored late in the third period and Jaroslav Halak finished with 22 saves as the Islanders🎀 lost ꦛfor the fifth time in six games and 13 in their last 15 (2-9-4).
“I think we’re better than what we’ve shown,” Tavares said.
Chicago was eliminated from postseason contention for the firꦛst time since 2008 following its 5-1 loss to Colorado on Tuesday, and pushed the struggling Isꦆlanders to the verge of being knocked for the second straight year.
Kane opened the scoring 2:36 into the second period with his team-leading 26th of the year. With the Blackhawks on the power play after Thomas Hickey was whistled for tripping Tomas Jurco as the two battled for a puck along the boards, Kane’s shot from the right circle deflected off Adam Pelech’s stick blade and through Halak.
It took the Blackhawks 1:49 to add to their lead as Saad tapped a rebound off of his initial shot — which ricocheted off the end boards — along the goal line before the puck bounced off the back of Halak’s left skate into the net.
“It’s a tough one for the goalie,” Islanders coach Doug Weight said. “It’s a bounce. Two bounces, two goals, we’re down.”
Forsberg made the lead hold up, even though he only faced 18 shots in the final 40 minutes. His lone mistake was Tavares’ unassisted goal with 2:42 left, but Seabrook’s empty-netter with 1:14 left ended the scoring.
N෴either team scored in an openi🃏ng period which was mostly played at even strength, except for an Islanders power play late. The Islanders outshot the Blackhawks 10-9 in the period.
“It sums it up,” Weight said. “We played a good game, it’s not good enough but we played a good game and we generated enough to win.”