[Final] Arizona Coyotes 1, New York Islanders 0: Defense wins.

In a mini-scoring drought and without their top scorer (which is not John Tavares, who has been slumping, the New York Islanders visited an Arizona Coyotes team that has been bleeding goals.

Rather than receive a welcome antidote, the Isles walked away with their first shutout loss and their first three-game regulation losing streak of the season.

To rub salt in the wound, the 1-0 loss made for a pointless 0-2 road trip out West, with Louis Domingue shutting them out in his fifth career NHL start.

Perhaps the Isles met the Coyotes at the wrong time: After Arizona's 7-5 loss to Columbus this week, coach Dave Tippett read many the riot act, including their captain. Tonight Frans Nielsen opened the game by clanging the post, and in the second Casey Cizikas was stopped on a shorthanded breakaway.

But mosty, Tippett got the response he was looking for as his squad protected Oliver Ekman-Larsson's late first-period goal for the final 40 minutes. The Isles got more frustration as Brock Nelson remains their only player to score in what amounts to a lost week.

They return home for their final pre-Christmas game, against the Ducks, who know a thing or two about frustration this season.

Box | Game Sum | Event Sum | War on Ice || Recaps: Isles | NHL | Newsday

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