Boston Bruins vs New York Islanders Match Player Stats On Dec 16, 2021

Cal Clutterbuck scored twice and Semyon Varlamov carried a shutout into the final minute Thursday night for the host New York Islanders, who beat the depleted Boston Bruins 3-1 in Elmont, N.Y.

Anthony Beauvillier snapped a 14-game scoreless streak by scoring the middle goal for the Islanders, who have won three of five since an 11-game losing streak (0-8-3).

Varlamov, who began the season 0-5-1, made 40 saves before Mike Reilly's shot - the last one of the game for the Bruins - caromed off the top post and into the net with 53.1 seconds left.

Goalie Linus Ullmark, who drew the start with No. 1 goalie Jeremy Swayman among the six players in COVID-19 protocols, made 25 saves for the Bruins, who have lost two straight and four of six (2-2-2).

Boston was also missing its two leading scorers - left winger Brad Marchand and center Patrice Bergeron - as well as left winger Anton Blidh, center Trent Frederic and center Craig Smith.

A turnover by the Bruins following a battle for the puck behind the visitors' net led to Clutterbuck's unassisted goal shortly after the midway point of the first.

A shot by Adam Pelech glanced off Ullmark before Boston defenseman Brandon Carlo vied for the puck with the Islanders' Casey Cizikas and Matt Martin. Carlo briefly gained control, but his pass through the legs of Reilly went right to Clutterbuck, whose shot sailed past Ullmark's glove with 8:13 left.

The Bruins outshot the Islanders 21-12 in the second, but New York scored the period's lone goal on Beauvillier's power-play tally at the 1:44 mark -- 98 seconds after Derek Forbort was whistled for high sticking. Beauvillier took a pass from Robin Salo, moved into the left faceoff circle, wound up and fired a shot that landed beyond the glove of Ullmark, who was screened by a jumping Zach Parise.

Varlamov maintained the shutout with 3:03 left, when he made a sprawling pad save to stop a backhanded attempt by Taylor Hall. Ullmark was pulled eight seconds later and Clutterbuck scored into the empty net with 2:17 left.

Clutterbuck, a veteran of 899 NHL games, just missed collecting his first career hat trick in the waning seconds when his shot at an empty net bounced off the right post.

--Field Level Media