Tavares, Strome and others lead Isles past Jets 6-2

The New York Islanders had goals from Nikolai Kulemin, John Tavares, Shane Prince, Ryan Strome, Anders Lee and Andrew Ladd in the team's 6-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday.

Shawn Matthias and Nikolaj Ehlers scored for Winnipeg.

The Isles scored the first goal for the 14th time in the last 17 games and have outscored the opposition 6-1 in the first periods of the last four games.

Thomas Greiss made 22 saves as he improves to 9-5-0 on the season and 4-0-1 in his career against Winnipeg.

Connor Hellebuyck made 11 saves before being replaced after the Isles' 4th goal as he fell to 13-12-1 on the season and 0-1-0 in his career against the Isles. Michael Hutchison stopped 7 of 9 in relief.

The Islanders were 1-2 on the power play (allowing a shorthanded goal) while Winnipeg was 1-3.

Following five off days for the NHL's "bye week", the Isles will resume play on Friday in Denver against the Avalanche. The Isles have been outscored 7-1 in their last two visits to Denver and are 2-3-0 in their last five games vs. the Avalanche.

Jaroslav Halak placed on waivers by Islanders

Goaltender Jaroslav Halak was placed on waivers by the New York Islanders on Friday.

Halak was pulled in the second period of the Islanders' 6-4 loss at the Minnesota Wild on Thursday after allowing four goals on 24 shots, including three goals in a span of 1:20 in the second. 

"Jaro wasn't sharp at all," coach Jack Capuano said Thursday. "He gave up some soft goals and we had to battle back. We did against a real good team. We needed a better effort from Jaro, quite honestly. … Four goals on 24 shots isn't going to get it done."

If Halak goes unclaimed the Islanders will have the option of sending him to Bridgeport of the American Hockey League after 12 p.m. ET on Saturday. The Islanders have goaltenders Thomas Greiss and Jean-Francois Berube on the roster. Berube relieved Halak against the Wild on Thursday.

Halak, 31, is 6-8-5 with a 3.23 goals-against average and a .904 save percentage in 21 games. He has a career record of 206-123-42 with a 2.42 GAA and a .916 save percentage in 388 games with the Montreal Canadiens, St. Louis Blues, Washington Capitals and the Islanders.

New York acquired him from Washington in a trade May 1, 2014 and signed him to a four-year, $18 million contract May 22, 2014, that runs through the 2017-18 season.

- National Hockey League

Isles fall to Wild 6-4

Nino Niederreiter's shot deflected in off of Erik Haul's leg for the winning goal midway through the third period for the winning goal as the Minnesota Wild extended their franchise-record winning streak to 12 games with a 6-4 victory over the Islanders before a sellout crowd of 19,252 at Xcel Energy Center on Thursday.

Brock Nelson scored twice early in the third period to erase a two-goal deficit but the Isles saw their winning streak end at three games.

John Tavares recorded his 279th career assist, breaking a tie with Bob Nystrom and matching Pat LaFontaine's total (tied-11th in Isles history). Tavares recorded an assist. He needs only four points to become the 10th player in Islander history with 500 career points.

Islanders head to Minnesota to face Wild

The New York Islanders (14-14-6) will head to St. Paul, Minnesota on Thursday to face the Minnesota Wild (22-8-4).

The last time the Islanders faced the Wild was on Oct. 23 in a 6-3 Isles win at the Barclays Center.

C John Tavares led the Islanders with three points (2-1=3) in the game, while LW Josh Bailey, LW Anthony Beauvillier and RW Ryan Strome each tallied two assists. G Thomas Greiss made 26 saves.

LW Andrew Ladd leads the Islanders with 18 points (5-13=18) in 29 matches against the Wild. LW Jason Chimera has 11 points (5-6=11) in 35 games against them, while D Nick Leddy owns 10 points (1-9=10) in 20 contests, and Tavares has 11 points (6-5=11) in 10 games.

Charlie Coyle and Eric Staal lead the Wild with 29 points apiece this season. Coyle leads the team with 12 goals, while Staal leads Minnesota with 18 assists and is riding an eight-game point streak (5G, 6A) in 2016-17.

WILD LEADERS VS. ISLES

C Eric Staal leads the Wild with 45 points (23-22=45) in 47 contests vs. the Islanders...Parise owns 44 points (20- 24=44) – his most against any NHL team – in 48 games...RW Jason Pominville has 29 points (7-22=29) in 34 matches...C Mikko Koivu has 12 points (3-9=12) in 12 games.

WILD GOALIES VS. ISLES

G Devan Dubnyk is 2-4-0 with a 2.93 GAA and a .914 SV% in six career starts against the Islanders...Kuemper is 0- 1-0 with a 4.22 GAA and a .875 SV% in two games (one start).

WILD-ISLANDERS CONNECTIONS

Wild Assistant Coach Darby Hendrickson skated in 16 games with the Islanders in 1995-96...Niederreiter was selected by the Islanders with the fifth overall pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft and collected three points (2-1=3) in 64 games with New York (2010-12)...D Jared Spurgeon was drafted by New York in the sixth round of the 2008 NHL Entry draft (156th overall)...RW Cal Clutterbuck was selected by Minnesota in the third round of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft (72nd overall) and collected 110 points and 1,457 hits in 346 contests with the Wild (2007-13)...Leddy is a native of Eden Prairie and was selected by the Wild in the first round (16th overall) of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft...LW Brock Nelson is from Warroad, Minnesota and LW Anders Lee hails from Edina, Minnesota.

MILESTONE WATCH

Cal Clutterbuck: 100 career goals (99)
Josh Bailey: 100 career goals (98)
John Tavares: 500 career points (495)
Thomas Hickey: 300 NHL games (298)
Johnny Boychuk: 500 NHL games (496)
Jason Chimera: 1000 NHL games (985)

Islanders take on Capitals after holiday rest

The New York Islanders are back from their holiday break to take on the Washington Capitals (TV: MSG+2; Radio: AM 970 - The Answer, 88.7FM - WRHU, 103.9FM - LI News)

The Capitals lead the season series 2-1-0, as the teams meet for the fourth of five meetings this season.

Islanders forward Josh Bailey has four assists in three games while goaltender Thomas Greiss has won two straight games. Greiss is also 5-1-0 in his last six and is 6-2-0 in his last eight games.

Capitals goaltender Braden Holtby is 15-7-3 this season and is coming off a 23-save shutout over Tampa Bay on Dec. 23.

The Islanders power play is 3-of-10 in its last four games, while the shorthanded unit has killed 8-of-10 in the same span. The Capitals power play has gone two straight games without a goal after scoring seven goals in a five game stretch. The Capitals penalty kill has killed 12 of its last 13 opportunities.

Islanders captain John Tavares is one assist shy of tying Pat LaFontaine for 11th on the Islanders all-time assists chart. Tavares is currently tied with Bobby Nystrom from 12th. Tavares is five points shy of 500.

Rasmus Ristolainen scores in OT, Sabres beat Islanders 3-2

By JONAH BRONSTEIN
Associated Press

New York Islanders goalie Jean-Francois Berube (30)
covers the puck during the first period of an NHL hockey
game, Friday, Dec. 16, 2016, in Buffalo,
N.Y.(Jeffrey T. Barnes/Associated Press)

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) -- Rasmus Ristolainen has just two goals this season. Both have been game-winners for the Buffalo Sabres.

The defenseman scored 42 seconds into overtime to give the Sabres a 3-2 comeback victory over the New York Islanders on Friday night.

"I love to play overtime," said Ristolainen, who also scored in the extra period in Buffalo's 4-3 victory over Edmonton on Dec. 6.

Johan Larsson and Matt Moulson scored in regulation, and Ristolainen had his team-leading 19th assist to help the Sabres win their second straight game. Robin Lehner made 33 saves.

"We battled at the end and we found a way to win," Ristolainen said. "We never give up and we're having fun and we trust each other."

Ryan Strome and Alan Quine scored for New York, and Jean-Francois Berube made 34 saves in his first start of the season.

The Islanders have lost four in a row. They have had a lead or been tied entering the third period of each game.

"We play a good 40 minutes and the third period we kind of seem flat," Strome said. "It's kind of been the downfall of our team this year, our third periods and finding ways to win."

Ristolainen scored the winner on an odd-man rush, receiving a pass from Kyle Okposo in the slot and sending a wrist shot over Berube's glove.

Ristolainen is the fourth Sabres' defenseman to score two overtime winners in his career.

"It's good to get points from guys back there, and he's got a lot of poise," Okposo said. "He makes plays and he creates offense, and you need that. He's our No. 1 D-man for a reason."

Okposo, the Buffalo points leader, was playing against his former team for the first time.

"It was strange, to be honest with you," Okposo said. "So many times you play with those guys. I know exactly what they're going to do. It was an odd game, an odd feeling."

Moulson tied it at 2 for Buffalo on a power play 3:19 into the third period. Berube could not control the rebound from Evander Kane's long shot, and Moulson's backhand bounced in off the skate of Islanders defenseman Thomas Hickey.

"That's kind of how things have been going for us lately," Price said. "It's frustrating. We're playing well, can't seem to get the bounces in the third and overtime."

Islanders coach Jack Capuano was pleased with his team's effort on the second night of a back-to-back, but said taking two penalties in the third period killed New York's momentum.

"It's frustrating to me that the guys worked this hard and they can't get the win," Capuano said. "I was just hoping we could stay disciplined in the third period, and we didn't."

The Islanders showed little fatigue from playing in Chicago on Thursday night, generating several early scoring chances against a Sabres team that was off for two days.

New York had a 16-7 advantage in shots on goal in the first period and took a 1-0 on Strome's straightaway wrist shot with 6:52 remaining.

The Sabres showed more urgency in the second and tied it 2:32 into the period when Larsson re-directed Rasmus Ristolainen's shot from the point past Berube.

Quine scored on a power play to put the Islanders back in front 2-1 at 6:39 of the second period. Shane Prince slid a pass across the crease to Quine for the one-timer.

Both teams' stars were shaken up during the game.

Concussion spotters pulled Jack Eichel from the game after he was shoved head-first into the boars by New York's Johnny Boychuck late in the third period. Eichel took part in the ensuing power play before going to the dressing room. He returned before the end of the third period.

Islanders captain John Tavares also left briefly in the second period after getting hit in the leg but was able to return.

NOTES: Sabres D Zach Bogosian (knee) sat out his 20th straight game. Bogosian and D Tyler Fedun (upper body) both skated Friday morning and one of them will enter the lineup on Buffalo's upcoming two-game road trip, coach Dan Bylsma said. Fedun has missed five games. . Islanders F Casey Cizikas (upper body) did not play after getting injured Thursday night. ... Ristolainen has a point in five straight games, the longest streak of his career.

UP NEXT:

Islanders: Host Ottawa on Sunday night.

Sabres: At Carolina on Saturday night.