Islanders center Casey Cizikas, left, falls into the boards after contact with Boston Bruins right wing David Pastrnak, right, in the second period of an NHL hockey game, Thursday, April 15, 2021, in Boston. Credit: AP/Elise Amendola
Three days of rest, recovery and practice yielded a rust-filled horrendous first period from which the Islanders could not recover.
The Bruins beat the Islanders for the first time in six tries, 4-1, on Thursday night as the Islanders opened a three-game road trip, including another game in Boston on Friday night.
The Islanders (27-12-4), who remained two points behind the first-place Capitals in the East Division, had not played since concluding a 5-1-0 homestand with a 3-2 overtime win over the Rangers on Sunday night at Nassau Coliseum.