Ducks fall after rallying
They overcome two-goal deficit in the third period before Bailey’s overtime goal.
NEW YORK — Josh Bailey scored 54 seconds into overtime to give the New York Islanders a 3-2 victory over the Ducks on Sunday night.
Coach Jack Capuano bumped Bailey to the top line with captain John Tavares and Andrew Ladd during regulation. In the three-on-three extra period, Bailey skated with Nick Leddy and Cal Clutterbuck.
Capuano was pleased with his changes.
“[It was] something that we wanted to try going into tonight’s game and I thought they played well,” he said. “It was one of the better camps that [Bailey’s] had. If he plays with confidence as I told him, and his work ethic that he has, he’s a skilled player and he has the ability to play on that line.”
Tavares and Brock Nelson scored for the Islanders, who recovered after giving up a two-goal lead in the third period to get the win after opening with two losses.
Cam Fowler and Ryan Getzlaf scored in the third period for the Ducks and John Gibson had 27 saves.
Coach Randy Carlyle is still seeking his first win in his second stint with the Ducks. He coached the team from 2005 to 2011.
“We had eight guys going to the World Cup through training camp,” said Getzlaf, who along with teammate Corey Perry played with Tavares on Canada’s championship team. “We didn’t get a chance to build together and build into that system that Randy wanted to play, and we’re learning. We’re getting better as we go along here and it’s going to take some speedbumps.”
Fowler made it 2-1 at 8 minutes 31 seconds of the third period when his wrist shot deflected off Islanders defenseman Thomas Hickey’s skate and over Halak’s shoulder. Then, with the Ducks using six skaters with the goalie pulled, Getzlaf tied it with one minute remaining when his one-timer went inside the right post on Halak’s blocker side.
Tavares extended the Islanders’ lead to 2-0 at 7:59 of the third period as he knocked in a rebound of his own shot past Gibson for his first goal this season.
Fowler started the Ducks’ comeback just over 30 seconds later.
The Islanders outshot the Ducks, 16-3, in the first period and the Ducks didn’t get their first shot until Nick Sorenson’s slap shot from outside the blue line with 5:39 remaining. But the Ducks were the aggressors in the second. They had three power plays and outshot New York, 13-5.
But the Islanders were able to pull out a victory in overtime.
“The first win is always big,” Tavares said. “Eases that pressure especially way those first two games went. A big win is always a good feeling.”
Jason Chimera, who was moved down to the second line with Nelson and Anders Lee, had an assist on Nelson’s goal for his first point since signing with New York in the off-season.
“He has the ability for me to put him where you want to play him because he balances out our lines with the speed that he possesses,” Capuano said of Chimera. “He’s got tremendous speed, can back defenders off and I thought that line was good tonight, too.”