Sound Beach native Brandon Bussi makes 24 saves to lead defending Stanley Cup champion Hurricanes past Islanders

The start resembled something out of the Islanders’ chaotic fisherman-wearing 1990s past. But before the jokes or derisive chants could start, they found their forecheck and chipped away at Hurricanes goalie Brandon Bussi (Sound Beach).

They twice rallied to tie the score, but with the Islanders unable to produce a functional power play, it still ended in a 5-3 loss to the defending Stanley Cup champions on Thursday night at UBS Arena.

The Islanders have lost two straight in regulation for the first time this season.

“We make one good play and you follow it up by maybe [poor] execution on the next play,” Brayden Schenn said of the 0-for-4 man advantage that generated only two shots. “It’s everyone. A guy will break it down and then the guy gets him the puck in a good position and we just can’t seem to make the next play now. Good power plays find a way to make the next play.”

“We’ve got to get a power- play goal,” coach Pete DeBoer said. “Tonight that probably changes the game if we find a way to stick one in. They put you under a lot of pressure there and you have to execute and make a play under pressure.”

The Islanders (7-6-2) are 1-for-18 (5.5%) on the power play in their last five games and 7-for-48 (14.6%) for the season.

“It’s making a quick one-touch pass or a no-look or a high-skill play under heavy pressure,” DeBoer said. “It’s the hardest thing in hockey to do.”

William Carrier backhanded the rebound of Andrei Svechnikov’s shot at 14:52 of the third period past Semyon Varlamov (34 saves) for the winner and defenseman Jalen Chatfield added an empty-net goal.

“I thought we played really well tonight,” said Mitchell Chaffe, who deflected defenseman Matthew Schaefer’s high shot to bring the Islanders within 2-1 at 3:40 of the second period after Logan Stankoven beat Varlamov to the short side 57 seconds in on the game’s first shot and Jesperi Kotkaniemi made it 2-0 at 3:20 of the first period.

“There were certain points where we have a little lapse,” Chaffee said. “You let off the gas even for one stick check, or whatever it is, and it’s in the back of your net. It just kind of stings to lose that one that way.”

Bussi, who was playing his second game at UBS Arena and who memorably brought the Cup to Long Island on Aug. 19 with two public events, stopped 24 shots, denying Anthony Duclair and Emil Heineman at the crease in the first period and stretching to make a glove save on Heineman’s power-play one-timer in the second period.

He was looking for a get-right outing in his first start in six games after allowing five goals on 21 shots in a 6-5 overtime loss in Edmonton on Oct. 22. That marked the third time in his first six starts that Bussi had allowed at least four goals for the Hurricanes (13-3-2).

“For me, you never know when that opportunity’s going to come,” said Bussi, 28, in his second NHL season. “I’m forever grateful. It’s hard to play in this league, right? You have to be at your best every night, and even when you are at your best, it’s not going to go well for you sometimes, just how good the league is. So any time my name is called, I’m excited for the opportunity. I felt good tonight. Overall, great effort from our team.”

In Bussi’s only previous start at UBS Arena, he made 28 saves in a 2-1 win on April 14 in the Islanders’ regular-season finale last season. He entered Thursday with a 3-0-0 career record against the Islanders — the team he rooted for growing up — with a 2.00 goals-against average and .919 save percentage.

Schenn’s wraparound goal — Bussi did not slide to his left quickly enough — made it 2-2 at 5:44 of the second period. After Svechnikov pushed in a loose puck at the crease to regain a one-goal edge for the Hurricanes at 6:44, rookie Victor Eklund again tied it with a rising one-timer from the slot at 17:13.

Varlamov, in his fifth start in his comeback from two partial knee replacement surgeries, allowed a goal on the first shot he faced for the third time.

Schaefer logged a game-high 30:01, including 4:07 on the power play.

Thursday marked the first of 11 games in which the Islanders will wear their hometown remix white alternate jerseys with a redesigned fisherman logo.

The game ended with a scrum after Hurricanes defenseman Jusso Valimaki launched a slap shot at the final buzzer. Both he and Schenn received 10-minute misconducts.

“I’m not sure why he’s taking a slap shot like that,” Chaffee said. “We’re not going to let that fly.”

By Andrew Gross

andrew.gross@newsday.comAGrossNewsday

Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.