DENVER — Consistency is still dogging the Islanders. And, at least for the moment, it’s putting their playoff chances at serious risk. 

The Islanders’ 1-0 shootout loss to the Avalanche on Monday, coupled with the Capitals’ overtime win over the Red Wings, means that the Islanders are tied with the Capitals both on points (38) and on regulation wins (15), the first tiebreaker. That can change quickly, and the Islanders have a game in hand, but the trend reflects the way they’ve been playing lately. 

Since Nov. 29, their record is 3-5-2, and what looked like a get-right win over the Golden Knights on Saturday meant nothing against the defending champs on Monday, when a good first period melted into a bad second and third periods, with an eventual shootout loss. The loser point salvages a .500 record so far on this road trip, with a game against the Rangers at the Garden still to go on Thursday. 

“Win our next game at MSG and make it a good one,” Zach Parise said. “That would be six points. … Had our opportunities to win the game [tonight], but can’t sit here and say we played a bad game.” 

The Islanders, mostly thanks to Ilya Sorokin, kept things scoreless through 65 minutes, but the Avalanche broke through in the shootout as Evan Rodrigues netted the winner — the only time all night either goaltender was beaten. Anthony Beauvillier looked like he had a chance to extend the game with the last chance of the shootout, but the puck came off his stick. 

The Avalanche spent much of the third period threatening. Valeri Nichushkin hit a post with just over 10 minutes to go, leading into a menacing shift in which Sorokin bailed out the Islanders more than once. 

That continued on into overtime, when Sorokin made two huge saves on Cale Makar in the final seconds to finish the night 46-for-46. 

He couldn’t, however, bail them out in perpetuity, and the Islanders had just 26 shots of their own. 

“I would attribute that to the legs,” Anders Lee told The Post. “We felt good early and then we just had to really tough one out and sometimes when you’re doing that and you don’t feel your best, the first thing unfortunately that goes is probably the offensive side. So we just hunkered down. Sorokie had a great game and [we were] able to get a point out of it.” 

The Islanders looked strong during the first period, when they forechecked hard, harried Colorado through the neutral zone and won battles with authority. Even though the teams went into intermission scoreless, it was a complete 20 minutes from the Islanders, and looked as though it could portend a win. 

So, too, did their first period against the Coyotes on Friday — and this game also ended in a loss, albeit with a point for the Isles to hang their hats on. 

“It’s not always easy to forecheck them,” Parise said. “I thought when we were able to, we got the puck back but they retrieved it really well. They made it tough to forecheck. That’s one of their strengths, but I wouldn’t say the opportunities weren’t there. We had our chances to score.” 

If there is a positive to take from the night, it’s that Sorokin looked like himself again. It was his sixth straight loss, but unlike on Friday in Arizona, he kept the Islanders in it instead of being partially responsible for the failure to pick up points. 

No player was more responsible for the way the Islanders started the season, and it’s not a coincidence that they struggled once he stopped playing at a superhuman level. Friday was perhaps his shakiest game of the season, and his fifth straight loss — if Varlamov hadn’t gotten hurt, it’s more than likely he would have been the starter on Monday. But instead, Sorokin grabbed hold of the chance to get back to his winning ways. 

“He played great and it was great to see,” coach Lane Lambert said. “Fought through traffic. Fought through deflections and things like that. He was outstanding.” 

This time, though, it wasn’t enough for two points. 

And whether Sorokin maintains this level or not, it’s plain to see that the Islanders need more in front of him if they’re going to make something of this season.