NHL

Tavares, Islanders get piped down

That 4-2-1 start seems as ancient and empty as Nassau Coliseum.

After last night’s gut-wrenching 3-2 loss to the Sabres, the Islanders find themselves in a familiar position: the Atlantic Division basement.

Their fourth straight loss was the most frustrating of the bunch. Buoyed by center Josh Bailey’s return from a knee injury and defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky’s debut, the Isles virtually lived in the Sabres’ zone and outshot their opponents 43-15.

“We deserved better tonight, there’s no question,” coach Jack Capuano said. “Right now, it doesn’t feel like anything is going our way.”

Though Buffalo goaltender Ryan Miller was very good in making 41 saves, the Isles (4-6-1) failed on three power-play opportunities, missed the net on numerous uncontested chances and had John Tavares hit the pipes twice in the final period.

Tavares clanged the crossbar from the right circle on a whistler of a shot that beat Miller early in the period. Later, on a penalty shot, his backhand dinged off the right post. Also in that agonizing final period, Matt Moulson had an open net on his own rebound, but Cody Hodgson saved the goal with a reaching deflection.

“We hit three posts and we had a bunch of other opportunities,” said Tavares, who notched his sixth goal of the season in the first period. “Sometimes it’s bad luck, but I think with as many opportunities as we had, we got to put them in when we can.”

The Sabres (5-6-1) made their chances count, scoring three times on just 15 shots. Defenseman Alexander Sulzer got the game-winner, sending a blast that caromed off and over Evgeni Nabokov’s shoulder and trickled past him midway through the final stanza.

After enjoying such success a man up, the Islanders power play has hit the skids. They have failed to capitalize on 22 straight opportunities, though the unit had more pep with Visnovsky at the point. In his first game on the Island, the blue-liner — who lingered in his native Slovakia after the end of the NHL lockout — got off three shots on goal and recorded 20:34 of ice time.

“I was pleased with his game for a guy who hasn’t played for the last three, four weeks,” Capuano said of Visnovsky, who was acquired in a draft-day deal with Ducks.

During the four-game losing streak, the Islanders have outshot three of their four opponents but mustered just five goals.

“As long as they work and continue to work, as a coaching staff that’s all you can ask,” Capuano said. “They’ll get results. I felt the effort for 60 minutes was there. Miller made some big saves when he had to, and that was the difference in the game.”

Though the Islanders offered mostly positive outlooks after the game, with the impact of their two new players and their overall intensity, Tavares wasn’t in the mood to consider the notion of a moral victory.

“We got to win hockey games, we have to get results,” Tavares said. “Playing the way we did tonight is great, and that’s the way we have to play, but we got to find a way to get the points we need.”