John Tavares scored two goals in the Metropolitan Division All-Stars' first game of the 2017 NHL All-Star game against the Atlantic Division All-Stars, adding two assists for a game-high four points, tying him with Cam Atkinson of the Columbus Blue Jackets (2-2--4) for the points record.
Tavares recorded one assist in the Metro's final game of the "tournament" against the Pacific Division All-Stars.
Sunday, January 29, 2017
Friday, January 27, 2017
Ladd scores twice, Islanders beat Canadiens 3-1
Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) The New York Islanders had a strong effort from start to finish and head into the All-Star break playing their best hockey of the season.
Andrew Ladd scored twice to lead the Islanders to a 3-1 victory over Montreal on Thursday night, snapping a seven-game losing streak to the Canadiens. Josh Bailey also had a goal and Thomas Greiss stopped 21 shots as New York improved to 5-0-1 in its last six.
''They were great (from) the drop of the puck,'' interim coach Doug Weight said. ''Team effort. Can't find me a guy that really had a bad shift. ... We played fast, we played hard, we competed. And 1 through 20, we were dialed in. It was a really good game.''
John Tavares and Nick Leddy each had two assists to help the Islanders beat the Atlantic Division-leading Canadiens for the first time since April 10, 2014.
''We've beaten some good teams throughout the year, so I think we believe we can compete with anybody in the league,'' Tavares said. ''Obviously, you're going to have to beat good teams to have success.''
New York, which was last in the Eastern Conference when Weight replaced the fired Jack Capuano on Jan. 17, has jumped ahead of five teams and sits five points out of a playoff spot.
''As good as this stretch has been, we have to come out of the break and follow it up,'' Tavares said.
Shea Weber scored for the Canadiens and Carey Price finished with 39 saves. Price, set for his fifth All-Star appearance, fell to 2-5-1 in his last eight games.
''You've got to give a lot of credit to the Islanders, they played a real solid game,'' Montreal coach Michel Therrien said. ''Carey was outstanding. If it was not for him, the game would not have been that close.''
Ladd put the Islanders ahead 2-1 at 7:20 of the third when he took a pass from Tavares and fired it past Price from the right circle for his 10th of the season. It was his second multi-goal game with New York since signing a seven-year, $38.5 million free-agent deal last July.
''It was a critical part of the game,'' Ladd said. ''Johnny did a good job getting the puck off the draw. I knew with him in the corner he was going to find some space. ... So, nice play by him.''
Bailey scored on a slap shot from the high slot for his eighth of the season with 4:47 to go, putting New York up by two.
With the Islanders leading 1-0, Greiss slid to his left to make a nice save on Max Pacioretty about 8 1/2 minutes into the second period.
Price had to make a flurry of saves, stopping a wrist shot by Anders Lee and then sprawling left to right on a backhander by Bailey with 9 minutes left. Nikolay Kulemin fired a long shot that was stopped by the goalie, and Casey Cizikas was denied on the rebound. Anthony Beauvillier was also stopped on a wrister from the inside edge of the right circle.
''We just seemed to come out with a lot of energy and line after line was feeding off it,'' Tavares said.
After the Islanders' Dennis Seidenberg was sent off for hooking with just over 6 minutes remaining, the Canadiens scored just 16 seconds later. Weber's slap shot from straightaway went off Greiss' glove and into the goal with 5:51 remaining for his 12th of the season and 10th on a power play.
New York had some chances on a power play near the midpoint of the first period, but Price stopped Lee's backhander from in close and an attempt by Tavares.
Greiss made a nice save on a wrister in close by Phillip Danault with about 9 1/2 minutes left on the Canadiens' second shot on goal.
Ladd got New York on the scoreboard with 6:53 left in the first as he got the puck, skated into the right circle and fired a shot from the dot through Price's five-hole.
NOTES: Montreal, which came in with the league's third-ranked power play, finished 1 for 3 on the man advantage. ... The Canadiens won 3-2 here on Oct. 26. The teams conclude their three-game season series at Montreal on Feb. 23. ... C Tomas Plekanec played in his 220th consecutive game. ... Tavares, who had his ninth multipoint game of the season, now has 13 points (eight goals, five assists) in his last eight games. ... Islanders RW Cal Clutterbuck did not play in the third period due to a lower-body injury.
UP NEXT
Canadiens: Host Buffalo on Tuesday night in first game after All-Star break.
Islanders: Host Washington on Tuesday night.
NEW YORK (AP) The New York Islanders had a strong effort from start to finish and head into the All-Star break playing their best hockey of the season.
Andrew Ladd scored twice to lead the Islanders to a 3-1 victory over Montreal on Thursday night, snapping a seven-game losing streak to the Canadiens. Josh Bailey also had a goal and Thomas Greiss stopped 21 shots as New York improved to 5-0-1 in its last six.
''They were great (from) the drop of the puck,'' interim coach Doug Weight said. ''Team effort. Can't find me a guy that really had a bad shift. ... We played fast, we played hard, we competed. And 1 through 20, we were dialed in. It was a really good game.''
John Tavares and Nick Leddy each had two assists to help the Islanders beat the Atlantic Division-leading Canadiens for the first time since April 10, 2014.
''We've beaten some good teams throughout the year, so I think we believe we can compete with anybody in the league,'' Tavares said. ''Obviously, you're going to have to beat good teams to have success.''
New York, which was last in the Eastern Conference when Weight replaced the fired Jack Capuano on Jan. 17, has jumped ahead of five teams and sits five points out of a playoff spot.
''As good as this stretch has been, we have to come out of the break and follow it up,'' Tavares said.
Shea Weber scored for the Canadiens and Carey Price finished with 39 saves. Price, set for his fifth All-Star appearance, fell to 2-5-1 in his last eight games.
''You've got to give a lot of credit to the Islanders, they played a real solid game,'' Montreal coach Michel Therrien said. ''Carey was outstanding. If it was not for him, the game would not have been that close.''
Ladd put the Islanders ahead 2-1 at 7:20 of the third when he took a pass from Tavares and fired it past Price from the right circle for his 10th of the season. It was his second multi-goal game with New York since signing a seven-year, $38.5 million free-agent deal last July.
''It was a critical part of the game,'' Ladd said. ''Johnny did a good job getting the puck off the draw. I knew with him in the corner he was going to find some space. ... So, nice play by him.''
Bailey scored on a slap shot from the high slot for his eighth of the season with 4:47 to go, putting New York up by two.
With the Islanders leading 1-0, Greiss slid to his left to make a nice save on Max Pacioretty about 8 1/2 minutes into the second period.
Price had to make a flurry of saves, stopping a wrist shot by Anders Lee and then sprawling left to right on a backhander by Bailey with 9 minutes left. Nikolay Kulemin fired a long shot that was stopped by the goalie, and Casey Cizikas was denied on the rebound. Anthony Beauvillier was also stopped on a wrister from the inside edge of the right circle.
''We just seemed to come out with a lot of energy and line after line was feeding off it,'' Tavares said.
After the Islanders' Dennis Seidenberg was sent off for hooking with just over 6 minutes remaining, the Canadiens scored just 16 seconds later. Weber's slap shot from straightaway went off Greiss' glove and into the goal with 5:51 remaining for his 12th of the season and 10th on a power play.
New York had some chances on a power play near the midpoint of the first period, but Price stopped Lee's backhander from in close and an attempt by Tavares.
Greiss made a nice save on a wrister in close by Phillip Danault with about 9 1/2 minutes left on the Canadiens' second shot on goal.
Ladd got New York on the scoreboard with 6:53 left in the first as he got the puck, skated into the right circle and fired a shot from the dot through Price's five-hole.
NOTES: Montreal, which came in with the league's third-ranked power play, finished 1 for 3 on the man advantage. ... The Canadiens won 3-2 here on Oct. 26. The teams conclude their three-game season series at Montreal on Feb. 23. ... C Tomas Plekanec played in his 220th consecutive game. ... Tavares, who had his ninth multipoint game of the season, now has 13 points (eight goals, five assists) in his last eight games. ... Islanders RW Cal Clutterbuck did not play in the third period due to a lower-body injury.
UP NEXT
Canadiens: Host Buffalo on Tuesday night in first game after All-Star break.
Islanders: Host Washington on Tuesday night.
Wednesday, January 25, 2017
Islanders chase Bobrovsky, beat struggling Blue Jackets 4-2
Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) The New York Islanders are pushing their way up from the basement under their new interim coach.
For the Columbus Blue Jackets, it might be best to avoid the boss for a bit.
Nikolay Kulemin scored a goal and helped create another, and the Islanders chased All-Star goalie Sergei Bobrovsky in a 4-2 win over the Blue Jackets on Tuesday night.
The Islanders are 3-0-1 under interim coach Doug Weight a week after Jack Capuano was fired, ending his 6 1/2-season tenure.
''From top to bottom, one of our best efforts of the year,'' Weight said. ''Every line was a spark plug. A great game for us.''
The Islanders are still talking about making the postseason as the All-Star break approaches, even as they try to climb out of the cellar. New York entered tied for last in the Eastern Conference, but it's also now just four points behind Toronto for the final wild-card spot and has games in hand on nearly the entire conference.
The Blue Jackets, meanwhile, failed to respond after coach John Tortorella questioned his club's recent effort earlier in the day. Columbus entered two points behind Washington for first place in the rugged Metropolitan Division but is just 5-6-0 since a 16-game winning streak.
Tortorella said he was ''disappointed'' during a 50-second media session after the game.
''Not dissecting it tonight, boys,'' Tortorella said. ''Not tonight. I guess the players talked to you. Go with their information.''
Lukas Sedlak said Columbus hasn't given a 60-minute effort in the last month. Nick Foligno questioned why Columbus isn't ''getting that fight back that we need to have.'' Brandon Dubinsky wondered if the Blue Jackets were ''fat and happy.''
''We have to realize that the conference is tight,'' Dubinsky added. ''And these teams that we're playing, every team is pushing for a playoff spot.''
Even the Islanders.
Thomas Greiss made 21 saves and improved to 10-3-3 over his past 16 starts. New York also got goals from Josh Bailey, Brock Nelson and Jason Chimera. John Tavares had two assists.
Columbus dominated possession early but had only three shots on goal in the first 8 1/2 minutes before Foligno's score. The Blue Jackets' captain was posted in front of Greiss when Ryan Murray shot from the point. The attempt was redirected by Alexander Wennberg, then bounced off Greiss and Foligno before trickling over the goal line.
New York threatened during a power play late in the period but was otherwise muffled during a sleepy first. The Islanders had just two shots on goal in the first 12 minutes.
Bailey pulled New York even 2:21 into the second with his 100th NHL goal. With Kulemin battling All-Star defenseman Seth Jones atop the crease, Bailey smacked the puck toward net from beneath the right faceoff dot. The puck banked off Jones' skate - though Kulemin's stick was right there, too - and slid past Bobrovsky.
Kulemin then found the rebound of Calvin de Haan's point shot and backhanded it past a screened Bobrovsky for a 2-1 lead late in the second.
Kulemin has three goals and two assists over his past five games.
''He's a strong guy,'' Tavares said. ''Always moving his feet. Makes things happen. When he uses his size, it's great to see.''
Nelson added to the lead 35 seconds into the third, snapping a shot from atop the right circle that beat Bobrovsky's glove to the top right corner. Chimera scored from almost the same spot five minutes later, ending Bobrovsky's night.
Bobrovsky stopped 20 of 24 shots before being lifted for Joonas Korpisalo.
Cam Atkinson got his 24th goal for Columbus on a snap shot with 5:21 remaining.
NOTES: Chimera has five goals in seven games. ... Wennberg's assist on Foligno's goal was his 100th NHL point. ... Islanders F Anders Lee was a late scratch because of an illness. ... Islanders F Andrew Ladd returned after missing four games with an upper-body injury. ... New York F Anthony Beauvillier sat out after getting injured blocking a shot Sunday. ... Columbus Ds Markus Nutivaara and David Savard were scratched and both were day to day with undisclosed injuries.
UP NEXT
Blue Jackets: Head south to face Nashville on Thursday night before returning to New York after the All-Star break to play the Rangers next Tuesday night.
Islanders: Close out January against the Eastern Conference division leaders, hosting Montreal on Thursday night and then Washington next Tuesday night."
NEW YORK (AP) The New York Islanders are pushing their way up from the basement under their new interim coach.
For the Columbus Blue Jackets, it might be best to avoid the boss for a bit.
Nikolay Kulemin scored a goal and helped create another, and the Islanders chased All-Star goalie Sergei Bobrovsky in a 4-2 win over the Blue Jackets on Tuesday night.
The Islanders are 3-0-1 under interim coach Doug Weight a week after Jack Capuano was fired, ending his 6 1/2-season tenure.
''From top to bottom, one of our best efforts of the year,'' Weight said. ''Every line was a spark plug. A great game for us.''
The Islanders are still talking about making the postseason as the All-Star break approaches, even as they try to climb out of the cellar. New York entered tied for last in the Eastern Conference, but it's also now just four points behind Toronto for the final wild-card spot and has games in hand on nearly the entire conference.
The Blue Jackets, meanwhile, failed to respond after coach John Tortorella questioned his club's recent effort earlier in the day. Columbus entered two points behind Washington for first place in the rugged Metropolitan Division but is just 5-6-0 since a 16-game winning streak.
Tortorella said he was ''disappointed'' during a 50-second media session after the game.
''Not dissecting it tonight, boys,'' Tortorella said. ''Not tonight. I guess the players talked to you. Go with their information.''
Lukas Sedlak said Columbus hasn't given a 60-minute effort in the last month. Nick Foligno questioned why Columbus isn't ''getting that fight back that we need to have.'' Brandon Dubinsky wondered if the Blue Jackets were ''fat and happy.''
''We have to realize that the conference is tight,'' Dubinsky added. ''And these teams that we're playing, every team is pushing for a playoff spot.''
Even the Islanders.
Thomas Greiss made 21 saves and improved to 10-3-3 over his past 16 starts. New York also got goals from Josh Bailey, Brock Nelson and Jason Chimera. John Tavares had two assists.
Columbus dominated possession early but had only three shots on goal in the first 8 1/2 minutes before Foligno's score. The Blue Jackets' captain was posted in front of Greiss when Ryan Murray shot from the point. The attempt was redirected by Alexander Wennberg, then bounced off Greiss and Foligno before trickling over the goal line.
New York threatened during a power play late in the period but was otherwise muffled during a sleepy first. The Islanders had just two shots on goal in the first 12 minutes.
Bailey pulled New York even 2:21 into the second with his 100th NHL goal. With Kulemin battling All-Star defenseman Seth Jones atop the crease, Bailey smacked the puck toward net from beneath the right faceoff dot. The puck banked off Jones' skate - though Kulemin's stick was right there, too - and slid past Bobrovsky.
Kulemin then found the rebound of Calvin de Haan's point shot and backhanded it past a screened Bobrovsky for a 2-1 lead late in the second.
Kulemin has three goals and two assists over his past five games.
''He's a strong guy,'' Tavares said. ''Always moving his feet. Makes things happen. When he uses his size, it's great to see.''
Nelson added to the lead 35 seconds into the third, snapping a shot from atop the right circle that beat Bobrovsky's glove to the top right corner. Chimera scored from almost the same spot five minutes later, ending Bobrovsky's night.
Bobrovsky stopped 20 of 24 shots before being lifted for Joonas Korpisalo.
Cam Atkinson got his 24th goal for Columbus on a snap shot with 5:21 remaining.
NOTES: Chimera has five goals in seven games. ... Wennberg's assist on Foligno's goal was his 100th NHL point. ... Islanders F Anders Lee was a late scratch because of an illness. ... Islanders F Andrew Ladd returned after missing four games with an upper-body injury. ... New York F Anthony Beauvillier sat out after getting injured blocking a shot Sunday. ... Columbus Ds Markus Nutivaara and David Savard were scratched and both were day to day with undisclosed injuries.
UP NEXT
Blue Jackets: Head south to face Nashville on Thursday night before returning to New York after the All-Star break to play the Rangers next Tuesday night.
Islanders: Close out January against the Eastern Conference division leaders, hosting Montreal on Thursday night and then Washington next Tuesday night."
Monday, January 23, 2017
Islanders goaltender Thomas Greiss named Second Star of the Week
New York Islanders goaltender Thomas Greiss on Monday was named the NHL's Second Star of the Week ending Jan. 22 by the NHL.
Greiss went 2-0-1 with a 0.98 goals-against average, .971 save percentage and two shutouts to guide the Islanders (19-17-9, 47 points) to seven out of a possible eight standings points. He opened the week with consecutive shutouts, registering 32 saves in a 4-0 victory over the Boston Bruins Jan. 16 and 23 saves in a 3-0 win against the Dallas Stars Jan. 19. Greiss then made 44 saves, four shy of his career high, in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Philadelphia Flyers Jan. 22. The 30-year-old Fussen, Germany, native owns a 12-7-3 record with a 2.32 goals-against average, .928 save percentage and two shutouts in 23 appearances this season.
Pittsburgh's Conor Sheary was the first star, and Washington's TJ Oshie was the third star.
Greiss went 2-0-1 with a 0.98 goals-against average, .971 save percentage and two shutouts to guide the Islanders (19-17-9, 47 points) to seven out of a possible eight standings points. He opened the week with consecutive shutouts, registering 32 saves in a 4-0 victory over the Boston Bruins Jan. 16 and 23 saves in a 3-0 win against the Dallas Stars Jan. 19. Greiss then made 44 saves, four shy of his career high, in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Philadelphia Flyers Jan. 22. The 30-year-old Fussen, Germany, native owns a 12-7-3 record with a 2.32 goals-against average, .928 save percentage and two shutouts in 23 appearances this season.
Pittsburgh's Conor Sheary was the first star, and Washington's TJ Oshie was the third star.
Giroux scores 3:20 into OT to lift Flyers past Islanders
By ALLAN KREDA
Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) -- The Philadelphia Flyers desperately needed a victory, especially on the road, and they got it thanks to their captain.
Claude Giroux scored at 3:20 of overtime as the Flyers rallied to beat the Islanders 3-2 Sunday night to end New York's three-game winning streak. It was Philadelphia's first road win since Dec. 14 at Colorado, ending a nine-game losing streak (0-7-2) away from home.
Giroux's 11th goal of the season came on pass from defenseman Shayne Gostibehere from behind the net, giving the Flyers the morale-building victory win after trailing 2-0. Philadelphia was 3-9-3 in its previous 15 since a 10-game winning streak.
"No question we needed a win," Flyers coach Dave Haksol said. "I don't think guys were getting too far off center but probably the biggest thing was the outlook we had, coming in and playing focused."
Wayne Simmonds scored late in the second period to pull the Flyers within one and Ivan Provorov tied it early in the third. Steve Mason finished with 36 saves.
"We were playing well and had a lot of chances and they weren't going in," Giroux said. "When Wayne got that goal, it was a relief on the bench. I never saw such a celebration for a first goal."
Nick Leddy and Alan Quine scored for New York, and Thomas Greiss stopped 44 shots.
Before Giroux's winner, Greiss denied Provorov on a point-blank attempt. Mason matched that save, denying Islanders captain Tavares on a breakaway after Jason Chimera fed him the puck.
The Islanders had two power-play chances midway through the third period without converting.
"We seemed sluggish and our execution wasn't as good as it was our last two games," said Tavares, who leads the Islanders with 19 goals and 36 points but was held off the scoresheet. "Today wasn't our best. We'll rest up and get ready for a tough couple of games heading into the All-Star break."
The Flyers had their chance with the man advantage when Cal Clutterbuck was called for tripping with 2:53 left but also failed to score. The Flyers held a 42-34 shots advantage heading into overtime.
Leddy opened the scoring with 6:35 to go in the first period, snaring a loose puck that had squirted free after a scramble in front of the Flyers net and firing the puck over a fallen Mason.
Tavares rushed in on Mason but neither he nor linemates Josh Bailey or Anders Lee could beat Mason before the puck found its way out to Leddy, who scored his eighth.
The Flyers outshot the Islanders 15-8 in the first but Greiss continued his strong play, stopping all Flyers attempts.
The Islanders' starting goalie since Jaroslav Halak was sent to AHL Bridgeport three weeks ago, Greiss continued his stellar play in the second with another 18 saves.
Quine made it 2-0 at 4:47 of the second, flipping the puck over Mason for his fourth goal of the season.
Simmonds finally broke through for the Flyers with 5:50 left in the second period to narrow the deficit to 2-1. The goal ended Greiss' shutout streak at 154:10 following shutout wins at Boston last Monday and at home against Dallas last Thursday night.
Simmonds' goal was his team-leading 19th this season.
"We made bounces go our way," said Simmonds. "As long as you're working hard, generally things catch up with you."
Provorov tied it at 1:47 of the third on a dazzling solo effort around the Islanders' defense before beating Greiss for his fourth.
With both teams playing the second game of weekend back-to-backs, the Islanders had more jump early. But the Flyers seemed to find their legs once Simmonds scored late in the second and into the third period.
New York had won two straight games since Doug Weight replaced Jack Capuano as coach last Tuesday. They beat Dallas 3-0 on Thursday and stopped the Los Angeles Kings 4-2 on Saturday. They also won 3-0 at Boston last Monday in Capuano's last game.
The Islanders host Columbus and Montreal before next weekend's four-day break. After hosting Washington on Jan. 31, they will play 22 of their remaining 34 games on the road. The Islanders played three games the last four days following Capuano's departure after six-plus years behind their bench.
"They battled," Weight said. "We looked a little tired but still played well in the third. Some games you don't have it as much as other ones."
Clutterbuck returned after three-game absence with an undisclosed injury while defenseman Johnny Boychuk also returned after missing two games. Forward Andrew Ladd missed his fourth straight game with an upper body injury.
NOTES: The Islanders have scored first in 21 of their last 26 games. ... New York fell to 15-0-4 when leading after two periods. ... The Flyers have allowed the game's first goal a league-high 32 times. ... The Islanders visit Philadelphia on Feb. 9 and March 30 to complete the season series.
UP NEXT
Flyers: At the New York Rangers on Wednesday night.
Islanders: Host Columbus on Tuesday night.
Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) -- The Philadelphia Flyers desperately needed a victory, especially on the road, and they got it thanks to their captain.
Claude Giroux scored at 3:20 of overtime as the Flyers rallied to beat the Islanders 3-2 Sunday night to end New York's three-game winning streak. It was Philadelphia's first road win since Dec. 14 at Colorado, ending a nine-game losing streak (0-7-2) away from home.
Giroux's 11th goal of the season came on pass from defenseman Shayne Gostibehere from behind the net, giving the Flyers the morale-building victory win after trailing 2-0. Philadelphia was 3-9-3 in its previous 15 since a 10-game winning streak.
"No question we needed a win," Flyers coach Dave Haksol said. "I don't think guys were getting too far off center but probably the biggest thing was the outlook we had, coming in and playing focused."
Wayne Simmonds scored late in the second period to pull the Flyers within one and Ivan Provorov tied it early in the third. Steve Mason finished with 36 saves.
"We were playing well and had a lot of chances and they weren't going in," Giroux said. "When Wayne got that goal, it was a relief on the bench. I never saw such a celebration for a first goal."
Nick Leddy and Alan Quine scored for New York, and Thomas Greiss stopped 44 shots.
Before Giroux's winner, Greiss denied Provorov on a point-blank attempt. Mason matched that save, denying Islanders captain Tavares on a breakaway after Jason Chimera fed him the puck.
The Islanders had two power-play chances midway through the third period without converting.
"We seemed sluggish and our execution wasn't as good as it was our last two games," said Tavares, who leads the Islanders with 19 goals and 36 points but was held off the scoresheet. "Today wasn't our best. We'll rest up and get ready for a tough couple of games heading into the All-Star break."
The Flyers had their chance with the man advantage when Cal Clutterbuck was called for tripping with 2:53 left but also failed to score. The Flyers held a 42-34 shots advantage heading into overtime.
Leddy opened the scoring with 6:35 to go in the first period, snaring a loose puck that had squirted free after a scramble in front of the Flyers net and firing the puck over a fallen Mason.
Tavares rushed in on Mason but neither he nor linemates Josh Bailey or Anders Lee could beat Mason before the puck found its way out to Leddy, who scored his eighth.
The Flyers outshot the Islanders 15-8 in the first but Greiss continued his strong play, stopping all Flyers attempts.
The Islanders' starting goalie since Jaroslav Halak was sent to AHL Bridgeport three weeks ago, Greiss continued his stellar play in the second with another 18 saves.
Quine made it 2-0 at 4:47 of the second, flipping the puck over Mason for his fourth goal of the season.
Simmonds finally broke through for the Flyers with 5:50 left in the second period to narrow the deficit to 2-1. The goal ended Greiss' shutout streak at 154:10 following shutout wins at Boston last Monday and at home against Dallas last Thursday night.
Simmonds' goal was his team-leading 19th this season.
"We made bounces go our way," said Simmonds. "As long as you're working hard, generally things catch up with you."
Provorov tied it at 1:47 of the third on a dazzling solo effort around the Islanders' defense before beating Greiss for his fourth.
With both teams playing the second game of weekend back-to-backs, the Islanders had more jump early. But the Flyers seemed to find their legs once Simmonds scored late in the second and into the third period.
New York had won two straight games since Doug Weight replaced Jack Capuano as coach last Tuesday. They beat Dallas 3-0 on Thursday and stopped the Los Angeles Kings 4-2 on Saturday. They also won 3-0 at Boston last Monday in Capuano's last game.
The Islanders host Columbus and Montreal before next weekend's four-day break. After hosting Washington on Jan. 31, they will play 22 of their remaining 34 games on the road. The Islanders played three games the last four days following Capuano's departure after six-plus years behind their bench.
"They battled," Weight said. "We looked a little tired but still played well in the third. Some games you don't have it as much as other ones."
Clutterbuck returned after three-game absence with an undisclosed injury while defenseman Johnny Boychuk also returned after missing two games. Forward Andrew Ladd missed his fourth straight game with an upper body injury.
NOTES: The Islanders have scored first in 21 of their last 26 games. ... New York fell to 15-0-4 when leading after two periods. ... The Flyers have allowed the game's first goal a league-high 32 times. ... The Islanders visit Philadelphia on Feb. 9 and March 30 to complete the season series.
UP NEXT
Flyers: At the New York Rangers on Wednesday night.
Islanders: Host Columbus on Tuesday night.
Sunday, January 22, 2017
Lee scores 2 power-play goals, Islanders beat Kings 4-2
NEW YORK (AP) – The New York Islanders are on quite a nice roll.
Anders Lee scored two power-play goals to lead the Islanders to a 4-2 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday night, giving New York its third straight win and fourth in the last five games.
”We’ve been keeping it simple of late,” said Lee, who has four goals in two games against the Kings this season. ”We’ve been getting shots on net and being more effective. I’ll do my thing down low.”
John Tavares had a goal and an assist, Jason Chimera also scored and Jean-Francois Berube stopped 34 shots to earn his first win in his third start of the season.
Nick Leddy added two assists as New York, last in the East, pulled five points behind Toronto for the conference’s second wild-card spot.
”We believe we’re a playoff team,” Berube said. ”We trust each other. We have to build on this. We’re going a game at a time. Tomorrow against Philly is a huge game for us.”
After Los Angeles scored twice early in the third period to tie it, Lee put the Islanders ahead for good at 9:31, deflecting a slap shot by Leddy past Peter Budaj for his 17th of the season.
Tavares added a power-play empty-netter with 44 seconds to go, giving him eight goals and nine points in his last five games.
Islanders interim coach Doug Weight improved to 2-0-0 since replacing Jack Capuano when he was fired earlier in the week.
”We have to just win one game in a row and keep it moving,” Chimera said. ”We’re just looking to play well each and every game.”
Drew Doughty had a goal and an assist, and Jeff Carter also scored for Los Angeles, which lost its third straight. Budaj finished with 32 saves.
The Kings trailed 2-0 after two periods despite outshooting the Islanders 27-18.
”We did have some really, really good chances and Berube made some big saves,” Doughty said. ”There were maybe four or five of those. … I’d say a good 15 of them were easy saves, with guys not in front and guys not going to the net.”
Los Angeles finally got on the scoreboard 37 seconds into the third, ending the Islanders’ shutout streak at 166:44. Carter backhanded the rebound of a shot by Doughty for his 24th of the season and 20th goal and 46th point in 46 games against the Islanders.
The Kings tied it about 3 1/2 minutes later as Doughty fired a shot from beyond the right circle that appeared to deflect in off Leddy’s skate for his eighth.
After coming in with the NHL’s ninth-ranked penalty-kill at 83.1 percent, the Kings gave up three power-play goals and have allowed six in 16 chances over their last four games. The Islanders, 3 for 5 on the man advantage, came in 0 for 21 over their previous six games
”Getting results is important sometimes,” Weight said. ”It seems as though we were having two games where we’re 0 for 4 and really putting shots on (goal) and getting zone time. And then we’re having one game we’re horrific and we’re 0 for 5.”
Lee doubled the Islanders’ lead at 7:09, just 50 seconds after the Kings’ Jake Muzzin was sent off for hooking as he stuffed in the rebound of a shot by Tavares.
Chimera got the Islanders on the scoreboard with a fluky goal. He brought the puck up the left side and sent it at the net from the left faceoff circle. The puck hit Budaj’s mask and fell down and crossed the goal line 2 1/2 minutes into the game for Chimera’s ninth of the season and fourth in the last five games. It came on New York’s first shot.
NOTES: The Kings, coming off a 3-4-0 homestand, opened a stretch with nine of 10 on the road. … Kings C Nic Dowd left in the second period and didn’t return. … Lee had one goal in his first 18 games of the season. He has 16 in 26 games since, starting with a two-goal effort in the Islanders’ 4-2 loss at Los Angeles on Nov. 23. … Berube was drafted by the Kings in 2009 and spent six seasons in the organization before being claimed off waivers by the Islanders in October 2015. … The Islanders improved to 15-5-5 when scoring first and 15-0-3 when leading after two periods.
UP NEXT
Kings: At the New York Rangers on Monday night in the second game of a five-game trip.
Islanders: Host the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday night in the third game of a season-high six-game homestand.
Anders Lee scored two power-play goals to lead the Islanders to a 4-2 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday night, giving New York its third straight win and fourth in the last five games.
”We’ve been keeping it simple of late,” said Lee, who has four goals in two games against the Kings this season. ”We’ve been getting shots on net and being more effective. I’ll do my thing down low.”
John Tavares had a goal and an assist, Jason Chimera also scored and Jean-Francois Berube stopped 34 shots to earn his first win in his third start of the season.
Nick Leddy added two assists as New York, last in the East, pulled five points behind Toronto for the conference’s second wild-card spot.
”We believe we’re a playoff team,” Berube said. ”We trust each other. We have to build on this. We’re going a game at a time. Tomorrow against Philly is a huge game for us.”
After Los Angeles scored twice early in the third period to tie it, Lee put the Islanders ahead for good at 9:31, deflecting a slap shot by Leddy past Peter Budaj for his 17th of the season.
Tavares added a power-play empty-netter with 44 seconds to go, giving him eight goals and nine points in his last five games.
Islanders interim coach Doug Weight improved to 2-0-0 since replacing Jack Capuano when he was fired earlier in the week.
”We have to just win one game in a row and keep it moving,” Chimera said. ”We’re just looking to play well each and every game.”
Drew Doughty had a goal and an assist, and Jeff Carter also scored for Los Angeles, which lost its third straight. Budaj finished with 32 saves.
The Kings trailed 2-0 after two periods despite outshooting the Islanders 27-18.
”We did have some really, really good chances and Berube made some big saves,” Doughty said. ”There were maybe four or five of those. … I’d say a good 15 of them were easy saves, with guys not in front and guys not going to the net.”
Los Angeles finally got on the scoreboard 37 seconds into the third, ending the Islanders’ shutout streak at 166:44. Carter backhanded the rebound of a shot by Doughty for his 24th of the season and 20th goal and 46th point in 46 games against the Islanders.
The Kings tied it about 3 1/2 minutes later as Doughty fired a shot from beyond the right circle that appeared to deflect in off Leddy’s skate for his eighth.
After coming in with the NHL’s ninth-ranked penalty-kill at 83.1 percent, the Kings gave up three power-play goals and have allowed six in 16 chances over their last four games. The Islanders, 3 for 5 on the man advantage, came in 0 for 21 over their previous six games
”Getting results is important sometimes,” Weight said. ”It seems as though we were having two games where we’re 0 for 4 and really putting shots on (goal) and getting zone time. And then we’re having one game we’re horrific and we’re 0 for 5.”
Lee doubled the Islanders’ lead at 7:09, just 50 seconds after the Kings’ Jake Muzzin was sent off for hooking as he stuffed in the rebound of a shot by Tavares.
Chimera got the Islanders on the scoreboard with a fluky goal. He brought the puck up the left side and sent it at the net from the left faceoff circle. The puck hit Budaj’s mask and fell down and crossed the goal line 2 1/2 minutes into the game for Chimera’s ninth of the season and fourth in the last five games. It came on New York’s first shot.
NOTES: The Kings, coming off a 3-4-0 homestand, opened a stretch with nine of 10 on the road. … Kings C Nic Dowd left in the second period and didn’t return. … Lee had one goal in his first 18 games of the season. He has 16 in 26 games since, starting with a two-goal effort in the Islanders’ 4-2 loss at Los Angeles on Nov. 23. … Berube was drafted by the Kings in 2009 and spent six seasons in the organization before being claimed off waivers by the Islanders in October 2015. … The Islanders improved to 15-5-5 when scoring first and 15-0-3 when leading after two periods.
UP NEXT
Kings: At the New York Rangers on Monday night in the second game of a five-game trip.
Islanders: Host the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday night in the third game of a season-high six-game homestand.
Friday, January 20, 2017
Tavares, Greiss give Weight win in Islanders debut
NEW YORK (AP) Getting a new coach this week didn’t change things much for the Islanders – and oddly enough, that’s a good thing for New York.
John Tavares narrowly missed out on his second hat trick in a week, Thomas Greiss got his second straight shutout and the Islanders beat the Dallas Stars 3-0 on Thursday night in their first game since firing longtime coach Jack Capuano.
New York canned Capuano in the middle of his seventh season Tuesday, replacing him on an interim basis with Doug Weight.
”We had guys battle,” Weight said. ”Top-to-bottom effort led by our captain and goalie.”
The new boss made a few adjustments, namely on the power play – though after going 0 for 7, that’s still a work in progress.
In the end, New York got this victory in a familiar fashion.
Tavares scored three times in a 5-2 win over Florida last Friday, then appeared to have a hat trick until a video review took away his apparent goal against Carolina on Saturday.
He again scored twice against Dallas, getting a flashy even-strength goal in the first period, and then converting on a short-handed breakaway with 3:06 left in the third. It was the first short-handed goal of Tavares’ career.
Moments after the latter goal, he had an empty-net shot just deflected wide.
The Isles captain has seven goals in four games despite the big personnel change in the middle of that run.
”A good response from the guys after a pretty emotional day and a half,” Tavares said. ”Came out and played some good hockey. A good effort all around.”
And then there’s Greiss, who stopped 23 shots against Dallas after making 32 saves in a 4-0 win over Boston on Monday. The consecutive shutouts come after Greiss allowed seven goals against Carolina last Saturday.
He called this ”an awesome night.”
”Our goaltending was a 10 – cool, calm and collected,” defenseman Thomas Hickey said. ”It rubs off on everybody.”
Calvin de Haan added an empty-net goal on a coast-to-coast shot with 4 seconds left.
Kari Lehtonen made 33 saves for Dallas, including breakaway denials on Tavares and Shane Prince. The Stars were coming off a wild 7-6 victory over the New York Rangers on Tuesday night, but they left all the offense in Manhattan and dropped to 3-12-4 in games following a victory this season.
”It’s disappointing, frustrating,” defenseman Dan Hamhuis said. ”It was a huge game for us.”
Tavares got his 17th goal with 6:29 left in the first period. After taking a pass from Anders Lee, the All-Star slid the puck behind John Klingberg while cutting in front of the Dallas defenseman, met the puck on the other side of Klingberg and smacked it past Lehtonen for a 1-0 lead.
Tavares picked up his short-handed score on a low wrist shot. Dallas entered trailing Philadelphia by one for the league lead in short-handed goals allowed.
Weight was an assistant GM and coach with New York before his promotion this week. The Islanders entered Thursday in last place and eight points shy of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, though they have games in hand on nearly the entire league.
Weight said Wednesday that he doesn’t plan to ”reinvent the wheel” as interim coach, but said New York was ”going to tweak some things in certain systems.”
The power play is one obvious area that needs improvement – New York entered Thursday ranked 28th in the league. Weight certainly got creative, even keeping Tavares off the ice for man-up stretches later in the game.
Lehtonen’s breakaway saves kept it close. He denied Tavares on a rising wrist shot in the first period, then stopped Prince’s sweeping deke with a sliding leg save.
NOTES: Islanders D Johnny Boychuk sat out because of an upper-body injury. The team said he is day-to-day. … Isles Fs Andrew Ladd (upper-body injury) and Cal Clutterbuck (lower-body injury) each missed their second straight games. Both are day-to-day. … Dallas Ds Johnny Oduya and Jamie Oleksiak were scratched with injuries. Oduya aggravated an ankle injury against the Rangers and will be out two to four games, and Oleksiak is dealing with an upper-body issue. … UFC bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes was at the game with her title belt. Nunes knocked out MMA superstar Ronda Rousey for the championship on Dec. 30.
UP NEXT
Stars: Return to Texas for a six-game homestand beginning with a game Saturday night against Washington.
Islanders: Continue their six-game homestand when the Kings play here Saturday night.
STARS-ISLANDERS SUMS
First Period-1, N.Y. Islanders, Tavares 17 (Lee), 13:31. Penalties-Cizikas, NYI, (tripping), 1:54; Cracknell, DAL, (hooking), 9:32; Sharp, DAL, (roughing), 16:27.
Second Period-None. Penalties-Hickey, NYI, Major (fighting), 1:42; Faksa, DAL, Major (fighting), 1:42; Faksa, DAL, served by Seguin, (roughing), 1:42; Cracknell, DAL, (hooking), 13:21; Faksa, DAL, (tripping), 17:42.
Third Period-2, N.Y. Islanders, Tavares 18 (Kulemin), 16:54 (sh). 3, N.Y. Islanders, De haan 3 (Greiss), 19:56. Penalties-Quine, NYI, (holding), 3:09; Benn, DAL, major (high sticking), 3:56; Mayfield, NYI, (slashing), 14:59; Roussel, DAL, (roughing), 20:00; Roussel, DAL, (roughing), 20:00.
Shots on Goal-Dallas 10-5-8-23. N.Y. Islanders 10-16-10-36.
Power-play opportunities-Dallas 0 of 3; N.Y. Islanders 0 of 7.
Goalies-Dallas, Lehtonen 9-13-4 (35 shots-33 saves). N.Y. Islanders, Greiss 12-7-2 (23-23).
A-12,630 (15,813). T-2:28.
Referees-Kendrick Nicholson, Chris Rooney. Linesmen-Steve Miller, Pierre Racicot.
Tuesday, January 17, 2017
Jack Capuano Relieved of Coaching Duties
New York Islanders President and General Manager Garth Snow announced today that Jack Capuano has been relieved of his duties as Head Coach. Assistant General Manager Doug Weight has been named Interim Head Coach.
"The New York Islanders would like to thank Jack for his tireless work throughout his seven seasons with the organization as Head Coach," Snow said. "His leadership guided the team to the playoffs in three of the past four years, which included two straight 100-point seasons. He is a great coach and an even better person. We wish him nothing but the best moving forward."
Capuano ranks second on the Islanders all-time list in both games coached (482) and wins (227), behind legendary Hall of Fame coach, Al Arbour (1,500 coached, 740 wins). With a record of 227-191-64, Capuano was the NHL's fourth-longest tenured coach, behind Claude Julien, Joel Quenneville and Dave Tippett.
"It's an honor to have served this historic franchise and its passionate fans," Capuano said. "I'd like to thank Garth and our ownership group for the opportunity to be the Head Coach of the Islanders. I'd also like to recognize our coaching staff, training staff and players for all of their hard work."
Jack Capuano was named Interim Head Coach on November 15, 2010. The Islanders removed the "interim" label from Capuano's title on April 12, 2011.
Last season, Capuano led the Islanders to their second-consecutive 100-point campaign, as the Islanders reached the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the third time during Capuano's tenure. He was selected as an Assistant Coach for Team USA at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.
Capuano first joined the Islanders in 2005-06 as an Assistant Coach. The native of Cranston, RI, was named Head Coach of the Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the American Hockey League on April 30, 2007, where he finished with a 133-100-8-14 record in four seasons.
- New York Islanders
"The New York Islanders would like to thank Jack for his tireless work throughout his seven seasons with the organization as Head Coach," Snow said. "His leadership guided the team to the playoffs in three of the past four years, which included two straight 100-point seasons. He is a great coach and an even better person. We wish him nothing but the best moving forward."
Capuano ranks second on the Islanders all-time list in both games coached (482) and wins (227), behind legendary Hall of Fame coach, Al Arbour (1,500 coached, 740 wins). With a record of 227-191-64, Capuano was the NHL's fourth-longest tenured coach, behind Claude Julien, Joel Quenneville and Dave Tippett.
"It's an honor to have served this historic franchise and its passionate fans," Capuano said. "I'd like to thank Garth and our ownership group for the opportunity to be the Head Coach of the Islanders. I'd also like to recognize our coaching staff, training staff and players for all of their hard work."
Jack Capuano was named Interim Head Coach on November 15, 2010. The Islanders removed the "interim" label from Capuano's title on April 12, 2011.
Last season, Capuano led the Islanders to their second-consecutive 100-point campaign, as the Islanders reached the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the third time during Capuano's tenure. He was selected as an Assistant Coach for Team USA at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.
Capuano first joined the Islanders in 2005-06 as an Assistant Coach. The native of Cranston, RI, was named Head Coach of the Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the American Hockey League on April 30, 2007, where he finished with a 133-100-8-14 record in four seasons.
- New York Islanders
Monday, January 16, 2017
Greiss makes 32 saves; Islanders blank Bruins 4-0
Playing in Boston again certainly added to his excitement.
Greiss stopped 32 shots for his first shutout of the season – and the first by an Islanders’ goalie in a game in Boston – to lead New York past the Bruins 4-0 on Monday.
”If he was tired, he would say it,” New York coach Jack Capuano said of Greiss. ”But he said he wanted to get right back in there. He said he was mentally focused and ready to go.”
Nikolay Kulemin scored two of New York’s three second-period goals, and Josh Bailey and Jason Chimera also scored for the Islanders, who have lost 13 of 19 road games this season (6-9-4), but defeated the Bruins twice in TD Garden.
”So far it’s been treating me very well. Fun games,” said Greiss, who made 48 saves in a win in Boston over the Bruins in December.
On Saturday, he gave up seven goals on 43 shots before being pulled in a loss to Carolina.
”You always want to have a good game after that and respond and feel good about yourself again,” he said.
Chimera has scored in three consecutive games for New York, which entered the game with the fewest points in the Eastern Conference.
Boston starting goaltender Tuukka Rask was pulled after two periods. He gave up three goals on 15 shots. Backup Zane McIntyre gave up the other goal.
The Bruins left the ice following the final siren to a spattering of boos from the fans that were left in the stands.
”We let them down by our effort,” Boston captain Zdeno Chara said.
The Bruins lost at home against one of the league’s worst teams for the third time this season. On Dec. 8, Colorado came in with the league’s poorest record and beat Boston. The Islanders were also last in the East when they won 4-2 on Dec. 20.
”We felt we were ready to go, but we were flat,” Boston coach Claude Julien said.
After a scoreless and penalty-free opening period, the Islanders moved ahead 1-0 at 13:18 of the second. Kulemin took Casey Cizikas’ pass in front of the net and slipped a wrist shot past Rask.
They made it 2-0 less than 2 minutes later when Bailey took a seemingly harmless shot from the bottom of the right circle and the puck slipped between Rask’s left pad and the post. It snapped a 14-game goal-less stretch for the winger.
”I was just late. I picked the wrong seal,” Rask said. ”It’s one of those I obviously should have stopped.”
New York increased it to 3-0 late in the period. Rask stopped Cizikas on a clean breakaway, but the center collected his rebound and passed it to Kulemin in front where he fired a wrister by Rask at 18:38.
The Bruins left the ice to a spattering of boos after the second. After pulling Rask, Boston barely mustered any threat to score.
Chimera scored an unassisted short-handed goal on a breakaway.
Boston’s Brad Marchand hit the left post with a backhand a few seconds before Kulemin’s first goal.
NOTES: It was the Islanders’ 81st regular-season game in Boston. . Former Bruins defenseman Johnny Boychuk missed the previous game with an injury, but was back in action for the Islanders. … New York forwards Cal Clutterbuck and Andrew Ladd were both out with undisclosed injuries. … Boston D Colin Miller missed his third straight with a lower-body injury and D Kevan Miller was out with a concussion sustained on a hit that was called a major penalty for boarding on the Flyers’ Jakub Voracek on Saturday. … The game was the opener of a hockey/basketball doubleheader. The Celtics were set to face Charlotte on Monday night.
UP NEXT
Islanders: Host Dallas on Thursday in the first of a six-game homestand.
Bruins: At Detroit on Wednesday. They beat the Red Wings 1-0 in Detroit on Oct. 29 in the only other meeting this season.
Isles face Bruins in Boston
The Bruins host the Islanders today in the 2nd of 3 games between these teams and the 2nd and final game of this season’s series at TD Garden.
In their last game on Saturday, Brock McGinn's four-point night helped lift the Hurricanes over the Islanders 7-4 on Saturday night at Barclays Center. John Tavares scored twice while Anders Lee (1G, 1A) & Josh Bailey (2A) also added multi-point nights in the loss. Thomas Greiss made 36 saves.
In Boston's last game on Jan. 14, Brad Marchand, playing in his 500th NHL game, had the 3rd 5-point game of his career and 2nd of this season with 2 goals and 3 assists to pace the offense as the Bruins beat the Flyers 6-3. David Krejci, Torey Krug (who added an assist), Patrice Bergeron and Zdeno Chara also scored while David Pastrnak had 2 assists. Goaltender Tuukka Rask won his 3rd straight decision
Islanders starting goaltender Thomas Greiss is 1-2-0 in 3 GP against Boston with a .945 SV%, a 2.03 GAA and 101 saves in 110 shots faced, along with 176:56 of ice time against the Bruins.
JOHNNY-ALL-STAR
On Tuesday, John Tavares was selected to represent the New York Islanders at the 2017 Honda NHL All-Star Weekend, taking place from January 28-29 at Staples Center in Los Angeles. Tavares, 26, will appear in his fourth consecutive NHL All-Star game. Last year, he took home the accuracy shooting title while representing the Metropolitan Team in Nashville, Tennessee. The Oakville, Ontario native currently leads the Islanders in points (32) and tied for first in goals (16) & second in assists (16). In 551 career NHL games, spanning eight seasons with the Islanders, Tavares has 503 points (223 goals, 280 assists).
HOME
The Islanders will play seven home games in January, including a season-long six-game home stand from Jan. 19 - Jan. 31. During the 13 day home-stand, the Islanders will host their only home back-to-back of the season. After January, New York will play just 12 of their remaining 34 games at Barclays Center.
HOT HANDS
Anders Lee has 8 points in his last 12 games (6G, 2A) & 14 goals in his last 21 games. Josh Bailey has 11 assists in his last 11 games. Thomas Greiss is 7-3-2 in his last 11 games.
SHOOTOUTS
The New York Islanders have won 70 games all-time in the shootout game, good for the second most all-time shootout wins in the NHL. This season, New York won a T14-round shootout, the longest in Islanders' franchise history.
OFFENSE FROM DEFENSE
The Islanders are currently second in the NHL lead in goals from the blueline with 25. Islanders' blueliners have recorded a goal in 21 of the last 34 games. From Oct. 21-Nov. 5 New York recorded a streak of eight-straight games with a goal from a defenseman, which set a new franchise record. Islanders' defenseman have accounted for 87 points this season (25G, 62A).
HOW THE WEST WAS WON
Dating back to last season, the Islanders are 18-2-3 (6-2-1 this season) when playing a Western Conference opponent at Barclays Center.
JASON CHASIN' 1000
Islander forward Jason Chimera is closing in on his 1000th NHL game. He currently sits at 992 games played, good for 20th among all active NHLers. Chimera made his NHL debut in December of 2000 and over his 16-year NHL career, has played for Edmonton, Columbus, Washington & the Islanders.
UNDER CAPUANO
Jack Capuano enters his seventh season as the Head Coach of the Islanders in 2016-17. He is the NHL's fourth-longest tenured coach, behind Claude Julien, Joel Quenneville and Dave Tippett. Capuano is 226-192-64 in 480 games behind the Islanders bench. He ranks second on the Islanders all-time list in both games coached (482) and wins (226), behind Al Arbour (1,500 coached, 740 wins).
THREE'S COMPANY
Last season, the Islanders went 37-4-2 when they scored at least three goals (including shootout winners). This season, New York is 15-4-2 when hitting the three goal mark (1-13-6 when they do not).
Sunday, January 15, 2017
McGinn has goal, 3 assists as Canes beat Isles 7-4
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) Brock McGinn, Jordan Staal and Elias Lindholm overwhelmed another opponent for Carolina, and the Hurricanes kept on rolling.
McGinn had a goal and three assists, linemates Staal and Lindholm each had a goal and two assists and the Hurricanes pulled away late to beat the New York Islanders 7-4 on Saturday night for their fourth straight victory.
”I’m enjoying playing alongside these guys,” Staal said. ”A lot of things have kind of clicked for us.”
The Hurricanes overcame a 3-1 deficit with three straight goals in the second period and improved to 14-1-1 in their last 16 home games.
Carolina scored three more times in the third to make it a rout, including Lee Stempniak’s goal 5:42 into the final period that broke a 4-4 tie.
McGinn has scored in three straight games and has seven points overall in that span. Lindholm has five points in three games since returning from an upper-body injury and Staal ran his point streak to four straight.
”Most important thing is they’re doing it playing against everybody’s best at home,” Hurricanes coach Bill Peters said. ”They’re taking on tough matchups each and every shift and more often than not, they win it.”
Justin Faulk, Brett Pesce and Teuvo Teravainen also scored for Carolina. Cam Ward made 28 saves.
John Tavares scored twice for the Islanders a night after recording a hat trick against the Panthers. Thomas Greiss gave up all seven goals on 43 shots before being pulled.
Carolina outshot New York 45-32.
The Islanders appeared in control early. Tavares and Anders Lee scored in the first period, and Jason Chimera made it 3-1 early in the second when he came streaking down the middle uncovered and buried a slick pass from Anthony Beauvillier in the left corner.
Then Lindholm, McGinn and the rest of the Canes jumped into gear, with a kick start from the Islanders defense.
Shortly after Chimera’s goal, Faulk unleased a wrist shot from the faceoff circle that was saved by Greiss, but Islanders defenseman Scott Mayfield inadvertently kicked the rebound through Greiss’ legs and into the net.
”I thought they put a lot of pressure on our defense,” Islanders coach Jack Capuano said. ”We need to win the close battles in front of the net. To me that was the difference.”
The miscue in their favor got the Hurricanes rolling, and they took off from there.
McGinn and Lindholm teamed up to tie it with a brilliant rush down the ice, with McGinn dishing a perfect cross-ice pass for Lindholm to bury past Greiss along the far post with 11:02 left in the second.
”Ginner is playing with a lot of confidence and I think Lindy has helped with that,” Staal said. ”It’s great to see.”
Pesce gave the Hurricanes their first lead when he redirected McGinn’s saucer pass on the move along the far post late in the second.
Tavares briefly pulled the Islanders back into a tie, but Stempniak collected the loose puck off a faceoff in the right circle and fired a pristine wrist shot just under the crossbar over Greiss’ shoulder to give Carolina the lead one final time.
”It was a great faceoff,” Stempniak said. ”It felt like it was put on a tee for me, which was nice.”
NOTES: Teravainen and Staal closed out the scoring for Carolina. … It was McGinn’s first career four-point game. … The Hurricanes improved to 5-0-0 this season when wearing their black alternate home jerseys. … Tavares appeared to have a hat trick for the second straight night, but his second goal was credited instead to Lee after multiple revisions. … There were no penalties called in the game.
UP NEXT
Islanders: Finish a three-game trip at Boston on Monday before returning home to start a six-game homestand.
Hurricanes: Visit the NHL-best Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday night, exactly one week after beating them 5-3 at home.
Saturday, January 14, 2017
Tavares gets hat trick, leads Islanders over Panthers 5-2
via Associated Press
SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) Jack Capuano called his team out – and the New York Islanders responded.
John Tavares scored three goals for his sixth career hat trick and the Islanders snapped a three-game losing streak with a 5-2 win over the Florida Panthers on Friday night.
Capuano wasn’t happy after Wednesday’s 2-1 loss at home to the Panthers and promised some changes if the team didn’t play better.
”Both teams played extremely hard, but it was nice to see us get the goals here tonight that we haven’t gotten the last three games,” Capuano said. ”They got rewarded here tonight for a really good effort.”
Nick Leddy had a goal and two assists, and Jason Chimera also scored for the Islanders. Thomas Greiss made 26 saves.
”It was a good response after Wednesday,” Tavares said. ”I was able to find some open ice off some good plays by my teammates and you want to take advantage of those.”
Tavares’ second goal gave the Islanders a 4-2 lead at 7:50 of the third for his 500th NHL point.
”It’s hard to believe that’s where I’m at. I didn’t really know about it until a couple of days ago,” Tavares said.
Tavares added an empty-net goal with 1:44 left for the hat trick that made the score 5-2.
Vincent Trocheck had a goal and an assist for the Panthers. Reilly Smith also scored for Florida, Keith Yandle added a pair of assists and Jaromir Jagr recorded his 1,138th NHL assist. Roberto Luongo stopped 37 shots.
”It was a rough game all around,” Luongo said. ”They were hungry, they got called out by their coach, they wanted it more.”
The Panthers won their past two games on the road but have lost six of their past eight home games.
”We just didn’t play good, they played really good in the first five minutes,” Panthers interim coach Tom Rowe said. ”We got back in it, but it’s not the way you want to start off a game at home.”
Trailing 3-1, the Panthers made the score 3-2 on the power-play when Smith took a shot from the point that got by Greiss with 18:18 left in the third.
The Islanders scored two goals on their first two shots in a span of 1:26 in the first. Chimera put the Islanders ahead 1-0 when he backhanded in a rebound under Luongo’s pads at 2:22.
Tavares’ first goal made it 2-0 on a wrist shot from the left circle at 3:48.
The Panthers closed to 2-1 after Trocheck took a pass from behind the net by Jagr in front of the crease and swept it past Greiss at 9:55 of the first. The goal was Trocheck’s team-leading 13th and 50th career goal.
The Islanders stretched their lead to 3-1 on Leddy’s goal when he fired a shot from the side boards above the left circle that went over Luongo’s right shoulder at 16:06 of the second.
The Panthers killed off a full two-minute 5-on-3 penalty midway through the second period, and again for 1:25 in the third.
NOTES: Panthers C Aleksander Barkov is ”week-to-week” with an undisclosed injury, according to Rowe. Barkov has missed eight games. … Rowe says that F Jonathan Huberdeau, who was hurt in the last preseason game, won’t return until March, at the earliest. … Jagr has 10 points in his last 12 games. … The Islanders have played four of their past five on the road. They have games at Carolina and Boston before returning home to face Dallas on Jan. 19.
UP NEXT:
Islanders: Visits Carolina on Saturday.
Panthers: Hosts Columbus on Saturday.
SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) Jack Capuano called his team out – and the New York Islanders responded.
John Tavares scored three goals for his sixth career hat trick and the Islanders snapped a three-game losing streak with a 5-2 win over the Florida Panthers on Friday night.
Capuano wasn’t happy after Wednesday’s 2-1 loss at home to the Panthers and promised some changes if the team didn’t play better.
”Both teams played extremely hard, but it was nice to see us get the goals here tonight that we haven’t gotten the last three games,” Capuano said. ”They got rewarded here tonight for a really good effort.”
Nick Leddy had a goal and two assists, and Jason Chimera also scored for the Islanders. Thomas Greiss made 26 saves.
”It was a good response after Wednesday,” Tavares said. ”I was able to find some open ice off some good plays by my teammates and you want to take advantage of those.”
Tavares’ second goal gave the Islanders a 4-2 lead at 7:50 of the third for his 500th NHL point.
”It’s hard to believe that’s where I’m at. I didn’t really know about it until a couple of days ago,” Tavares said.
Tavares added an empty-net goal with 1:44 left for the hat trick that made the score 5-2.
Vincent Trocheck had a goal and an assist for the Panthers. Reilly Smith also scored for Florida, Keith Yandle added a pair of assists and Jaromir Jagr recorded his 1,138th NHL assist. Roberto Luongo stopped 37 shots.
”It was a rough game all around,” Luongo said. ”They were hungry, they got called out by their coach, they wanted it more.”
The Panthers won their past two games on the road but have lost six of their past eight home games.
”We just didn’t play good, they played really good in the first five minutes,” Panthers interim coach Tom Rowe said. ”We got back in it, but it’s not the way you want to start off a game at home.”
Trailing 3-1, the Panthers made the score 3-2 on the power-play when Smith took a shot from the point that got by Greiss with 18:18 left in the third.
The Islanders scored two goals on their first two shots in a span of 1:26 in the first. Chimera put the Islanders ahead 1-0 when he backhanded in a rebound under Luongo’s pads at 2:22.
Tavares’ first goal made it 2-0 on a wrist shot from the left circle at 3:48.
The Panthers closed to 2-1 after Trocheck took a pass from behind the net by Jagr in front of the crease and swept it past Greiss at 9:55 of the first. The goal was Trocheck’s team-leading 13th and 50th career goal.
The Islanders stretched their lead to 3-1 on Leddy’s goal when he fired a shot from the side boards above the left circle that went over Luongo’s right shoulder at 16:06 of the second.
The Panthers killed off a full two-minute 5-on-3 penalty midway through the second period, and again for 1:25 in the third.
NOTES: Panthers C Aleksander Barkov is ”week-to-week” with an undisclosed injury, according to Rowe. Barkov has missed eight games. … Rowe says that F Jonathan Huberdeau, who was hurt in the last preseason game, won’t return until March, at the earliest. … Jagr has 10 points in his last 12 games. … The Islanders have played four of their past five on the road. They have games at Carolina and Boston before returning home to face Dallas on Jan. 19.
UP NEXT:
Islanders: Visits Carolina on Saturday.
Panthers: Hosts Columbus on Saturday.
Friday, January 13, 2017
Islanders face Panthers in Sunrise
The New York Islanders (15-16-8) head to Sunrise, Florida on Friday to face the Florida Panthers (19-16-8) in a rematch of a 2016 first-round playoff series. TV: MSG+; Radio: 660AM, 101.9FM - WFAN, 88.7FM - WRHU)
Islanders goaltender Thomas Greiss has been solid over the past three games, stopping 85-of-90 shots (.944 save percentage), allowing two goals or fewer in his last six games.
The Islanders and Panthers power plays are virtually deadlocked, as the Islanders are converting at 14.8% to the Panthers 14.9%. The Islanders did not have a power play opportunity in Wednesday's game.
The Panthers are tied for fourth in the NHL (85.1%), while the Islanders (80%) are tied for 20th. The Islanders' penalty kill went 1-for-1 on Wednesday and has killed 18-of-20 (90%) over the past eight games.
Travis Hamonic (lower body) was placed on injured reserve on Thursday morning, retroactive to the Islanders-Coyotes game on Jan. 7. Hamonic did not play on Wednesday night and did not practice with the team on Monday, Tuesday or Thursday. Scott Mayfield was recalled from the Bridgeport Sound Tigers in a corresponding move on Thursday.
Islanders goaltender Thomas Greiss has been solid over the past three games, stopping 85-of-90 shots (.944 save percentage), allowing two goals or fewer in his last six games.
The Islanders and Panthers power plays are virtually deadlocked, as the Islanders are converting at 14.8% to the Panthers 14.9%. The Islanders did not have a power play opportunity in Wednesday's game.
The Panthers are tied for fourth in the NHL (85.1%), while the Islanders (80%) are tied for 20th. The Islanders' penalty kill went 1-for-1 on Wednesday and has killed 18-of-20 (90%) over the past eight games.
Travis Hamonic (lower body) was placed on injured reserve on Thursday morning, retroactive to the Islanders-Coyotes game on Jan. 7. Hamonic did not play on Wednesday night and did not practice with the team on Monday, Tuesday or Thursday. Scott Mayfield was recalled from the Bridgeport Sound Tigers in a corresponding move on Thursday.
Thursday, January 12, 2017
Demers, Luongo lead Panthers to 2-1 win over Islanders
By VIN A. CHERWOO
AP Sports Writer
NEW YORK (AP) -- After a disappointing start to the season, the Florida Panthers are starting to get on a little bit of a roll.
Jason Demers scored the tiebreaking goal early in the second period, Roberto Luongo stopped 29 shots and the Panthers held on for a 2-1 victory over the New York Islanders on Wednesday night.
Keith Yandle also scored for Florida, which has won two straight and four of its last six. The Panthers also have four straight road wins, and points in 10 of their last 13 games overall (6-3-4).
"Guys are starting to come around and feeling more comfortable in their roles," Luongo said. "We need 20 guys in this locker room to contribute."
The Panthers made their first visit to Brooklyn since losing to the Islanders in the second overtime of the series-clinching Game 6 of the first round of the playoffs last April 24.
"Last year is last year," Panthers general manager and coach Tom Rowe said. "We're really trying to get into a playoff position. ... I don't think there was a whole lot given about being knocked out last year the way we were knocked out. It's a regular-season game, we had to get the two points."
Luongo agreed, adding: "We got other problems we're worried about right now. We're trying to stay focused on winning games."
Both teams have struggled this season. New York is mired at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings and Florida is just out a playoff spot - even with third-place Ottawa in the Atlantic with the Senators having four games in hand, and two points behind Philadelphia for the East's second wild-card spot.
Nick Leddy had the Islanders' goal and Thomas Greiss finished with 22 saves. New York, in the midst of a stretch of seven of eight on the road, lost for the fourth time in five games (1-2-2).
New York coach Jack Capuano didn't hide his displeasure after the game.
"There will guys who will be out of the lineup next game, there's no doubt about that," he said. "That's the accountability as a coach. But when it comes to scoring goals and individual production, let them do their thing. You just try to give them confidence."
The Panthers improved to 8-6-7 since Rowe fired former coach Gerard Gallant on Nov. 27 and replaced him behind the bench. Florida was 11-10-1 under Gallant.
Luongo was tested several times in the third period as New York had a 12-1 advantage on shots. He stopped Islanders captain John Tavares on a wraparound attempt just past the midpoint of the period, and then Tavares and Anders Lee both jabbed at the puck from in close but couldn't poke it in. Luongo also stopped three rapid tries by Casey Cizikas with about 6 minutes to go
"Roberto was excellent," Rowe said. "Early in the game, he didn't get a whole lot of work but then as the game went on the Islanders got going, especially in the third period they had a pretty good stretch there."
Florida outshot New York 16-6 in a brisk-paced second period and took a 2-1 lead 1:09 into the period as Demers took a pass from Jonathan Marchessault and snapped it past Greiss from the right circle for his eighth.
"That was probably the worst second period we played all year," Capuano said. "We had no rhythm, no execution. Certain guys should have stayed in the (locker) room. It was bad."
Florida got on the scoreboard first as Yandle pounced on a rebound and fired a slap shot from the left faceoff circle past Greiss for his third of the season at 5:47 of the first.
Leddy tied it for the Islanders with 9:13 remaining in the opening period with a wrist shot from the left slot past Luongo on the glove side for his sixth.
NOTES: Florida won the teams' first meeting this season, 3-2 in overtime at home on Nov. 12. ... The Panthers improved to 13-5-4 when scoring first and 13-1-3 when leading after two periods. ... The 37-year-old Luongo, who was drafted by the Islanders fourth overall in 1997 and spent part of the 1999-2000 season in New York, improved to 12-11-3 against his former team. ... The Islanders honored long-time play-by-play announcer Jiggs McDonald with a video tribute during a pregame ceremony. He was presented with a bronze microphone and team jersey. He received an ovation from the crowd and also dropped the ceremonial first puck. McDonald has called NHL games since 1967. ... The Islanders fell to 4-12-3 when giving up the first goal and 0-10-1 when trailing after two periods.
UP NEXT
Panthers: Host the Islanders on Friday night to complete the home-and-home set and open a back-to-back with Columbus coming in Saturday night.
Islanders: At Florida on Friday night in the opener of a three-game, four-day road trip.
PANTHERS-ISLANDERS SUMS
First Period-1, Florida, Yandle 3 (Trocheck, Mccann), 5:47. 2, N.Y. Islanders, Leddy 6 (Clutterbuck, Cizikas), 10:47. Penalties-Chimera, NYI, (interference), 13:14.
Second Period-3, Florida, Demers 8 (Marchessault, Jokinen), 1:09. Penalties-None.
Third Period-None. Penalties-Cizikas, NYI, (roughing), 13:52; Luongo, FLA, served by Jagr, (roughing), 13:52.
Shots on Goal-Florida 7-16-1-24. N.Y. Islanders 12-6-12-30.
Power-play opportunities-Florida 0 of 1; .
Goalies-Florida, Luongo 13-10-5 (30 shots-29 saves). N.Y. Islanders, Greiss 9-6-2 (24-22).
A-13,529 (15,813). T-2:25.
Referees-Kendrick Nicholson, Francois St Laurent. Linesmen-Derek Amell, David Brisebois
AP Sports Writer
Jason Demers scored the tiebreaking goal early in the second period, Roberto Luongo stopped 29 shots and the Panthers held on for a 2-1 victory over the New York Islanders on Wednesday night.
Keith Yandle also scored for Florida, which has won two straight and four of its last six. The Panthers also have four straight road wins, and points in 10 of their last 13 games overall (6-3-4).
"Guys are starting to come around and feeling more comfortable in their roles," Luongo said. "We need 20 guys in this locker room to contribute."
The Panthers made their first visit to Brooklyn since losing to the Islanders in the second overtime of the series-clinching Game 6 of the first round of the playoffs last April 24.
"Last year is last year," Panthers general manager and coach Tom Rowe said. "We're really trying to get into a playoff position. ... I don't think there was a whole lot given about being knocked out last year the way we were knocked out. It's a regular-season game, we had to get the two points."
Luongo agreed, adding: "We got other problems we're worried about right now. We're trying to stay focused on winning games."
Both teams have struggled this season. New York is mired at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings and Florida is just out a playoff spot - even with third-place Ottawa in the Atlantic with the Senators having four games in hand, and two points behind Philadelphia for the East's second wild-card spot.
Nick Leddy had the Islanders' goal and Thomas Greiss finished with 22 saves. New York, in the midst of a stretch of seven of eight on the road, lost for the fourth time in five games (1-2-2).
New York coach Jack Capuano didn't hide his displeasure after the game.
"There will guys who will be out of the lineup next game, there's no doubt about that," he said. "That's the accountability as a coach. But when it comes to scoring goals and individual production, let them do their thing. You just try to give them confidence."
The Panthers improved to 8-6-7 since Rowe fired former coach Gerard Gallant on Nov. 27 and replaced him behind the bench. Florida was 11-10-1 under Gallant.
Luongo was tested several times in the third period as New York had a 12-1 advantage on shots. He stopped Islanders captain John Tavares on a wraparound attempt just past the midpoint of the period, and then Tavares and Anders Lee both jabbed at the puck from in close but couldn't poke it in. Luongo also stopped three rapid tries by Casey Cizikas with about 6 minutes to go
"Roberto was excellent," Rowe said. "Early in the game, he didn't get a whole lot of work but then as the game went on the Islanders got going, especially in the third period they had a pretty good stretch there."
Florida outshot New York 16-6 in a brisk-paced second period and took a 2-1 lead 1:09 into the period as Demers took a pass from Jonathan Marchessault and snapped it past Greiss from the right circle for his eighth.
"That was probably the worst second period we played all year," Capuano said. "We had no rhythm, no execution. Certain guys should have stayed in the (locker) room. It was bad."
Florida got on the scoreboard first as Yandle pounced on a rebound and fired a slap shot from the left faceoff circle past Greiss for his third of the season at 5:47 of the first.
Leddy tied it for the Islanders with 9:13 remaining in the opening period with a wrist shot from the left slot past Luongo on the glove side for his sixth.
NOTES: Florida won the teams' first meeting this season, 3-2 in overtime at home on Nov. 12. ... The Panthers improved to 13-5-4 when scoring first and 13-1-3 when leading after two periods. ... The 37-year-old Luongo, who was drafted by the Islanders fourth overall in 1997 and spent part of the 1999-2000 season in New York, improved to 12-11-3 against his former team. ... The Islanders honored long-time play-by-play announcer Jiggs McDonald with a video tribute during a pregame ceremony. He was presented with a bronze microphone and team jersey. He received an ovation from the crowd and also dropped the ceremonial first puck. McDonald has called NHL games since 1967. ... The Islanders fell to 4-12-3 when giving up the first goal and 0-10-1 when trailing after two periods.
UP NEXT
Panthers: Host the Islanders on Friday night to complete the home-and-home set and open a back-to-back with Columbus coming in Saturday night.
Islanders: At Florida on Friday night in the opener of a three-game, four-day road trip.
PANTHERS-ISLANDERS SUMS
First Period-1, Florida, Yandle 3 (Trocheck, Mccann), 5:47. 2, N.Y. Islanders, Leddy 6 (Clutterbuck, Cizikas), 10:47. Penalties-Chimera, NYI, (interference), 13:14.
Second Period-3, Florida, Demers 8 (Marchessault, Jokinen), 1:09. Penalties-None.
Third Period-None. Penalties-Cizikas, NYI, (roughing), 13:52; Luongo, FLA, served by Jagr, (roughing), 13:52.
Shots on Goal-Florida 7-16-1-24. N.Y. Islanders 12-6-12-30.
Power-play opportunities-Florida 0 of 1; .
Goalies-Florida, Luongo 13-10-5 (30 shots-29 saves). N.Y. Islanders, Greiss 9-6-2 (24-22).
A-13,529 (15,813). T-2:25.
Referees-Kendrick Nicholson, Francois St Laurent. Linesmen-Derek Amell, David Brisebois
Tuesday, January 10, 2017
Tavares To Represent Isles at NHL All-Star Weekend
The National Hockey League announced today that John Tavares has been selected to represent the New York Islanders at the 2017 Honda NHL All-Star Weekend, taking place from January 28-29 at Staple Center in Los Angeles, CA.
Tavares, 26, will appear in his fourth consecutive NHL All-Star game. He took home the accuracy shooting title while representing the Metropolitan Team in Nashville, Tennessee.
The Islanders selected Tavares with the first-overall pick in the 2009 NHL Draft. The Oakville, ON, native currently leads the Islanders in points (27) and and is second in goals (11) & assists (16).
In 548 career NHL games, spanning eight seasons with the Islanders, Tavares has 498 points (218 goals, 280 assists)
Tavares won a gold medal with Team Canada at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey in Toronto & the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi. He was named a finalist for the Hart Memorial Trophy in 2012-13 and 2014-15, given annually to the NHL's most valuable player.
Prior to his professional career, Tavares played in 247 Ontario Hockey League games over four seasons, compiling 215 goals and 218 assists for 433 points. His 215 tallies set an OHL record for career goals, a mark held by Peter Lee for 33 years. In 2007, Tavares was named the Canadian Hockey League Player of the Year, after scoring 72 goals to break Wayne Gretzky's OHL record for goals in a season. He also won back-to-back gold medals with Canada at the 2008 and 2009 World Junior Championships.
- New York Islanders PR.
Tavares, 26, will appear in his fourth consecutive NHL All-Star game. He took home the accuracy shooting title while representing the Metropolitan Team in Nashville, Tennessee.
The Islanders selected Tavares with the first-overall pick in the 2009 NHL Draft. The Oakville, ON, native currently leads the Islanders in points (27) and and is second in goals (11) & assists (16).
In 548 career NHL games, spanning eight seasons with the Islanders, Tavares has 498 points (218 goals, 280 assists)
Tavares won a gold medal with Team Canada at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey in Toronto & the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi. He was named a finalist for the Hart Memorial Trophy in 2012-13 and 2014-15, given annually to the NHL's most valuable player.
Prior to his professional career, Tavares played in 247 Ontario Hockey League games over four seasons, compiling 215 goals and 218 assists for 433 points. His 215 tallies set an OHL record for career goals, a mark held by Peter Lee for 33 years. In 2007, Tavares was named the Canadian Hockey League Player of the Year, after scoring 72 goals to break Wayne Gretzky's OHL record for goals in a season. He also won back-to-back gold medals with Canada at the 2008 and 2009 World Junior Championships.
- New York Islanders PR.
Saturday, January 7, 2017
MacKinnon’s OT goal lifts Avs over Islanders 2-1
By ASSOCIATED PRESS
DENVER (AP) Nathan MacKinnon and the Colorado Avalanche finally got to celebrate at home.
MacKinnon scored 4:43 into overtime, and the Avalanche beat the New York Islanders 2-1 on Friday night for their first win at home in more than seven weeks.
MacKinnon also assisted on Gabriel Landeskog’s first-period goal, and Calvin Pickard finished with 35 saves for Colorado.
It was the Avalanche’s first home win since Nov. 15. They had lost 10 of 11 overall, with their only victory in the last four weeks coming in Chicago on Dec. 23.
”Huge relief. It’s tough to get out of a streak when you’re losing every game at home,” coach Jared Bednar said. ”We weren’t playing with a whole lot of confidence. Hopefully this builds some of that and we can string some wins together. It’s been a long time, it’s been tough.”
The Avalanche held the Islanders in check after the last three visiting teams scored six times each at Pepsi Center. Johnny Boychuk had New York’s only goal, and Thomas Greiss made 37 stops.
The Islanders had not played since Dec. 31 in Winnipeg.
”I thought we played a pretty good hockey game after the break and I thought we had chances we just didn’t score on them,” Islanders center John Tavares said. ”Obviously an unfortunate call in overtime and those are tough to kill and then an unfortunate bounce.”
With Calvin De Haan off for hooking Landeskog at 3:34 of overtime, the Avalanche took control of the puck in the New York end. Greiss stopped Jarome Iginla, but MacKinnon knocked in the rebound.
”It was a long time coming,” MacKinnon said. ”It’s been tough at home – it’s been tough in general. Wins haven’t been easy to get.”
Landeskog put Colorado in front 6:06 into the game and it stayed that way until Boychuk tied it on a 5-on-3 power play at 17:34 of the second.
MacKinnon ended Colorado’s home futility with his 10th goal of the season.
FIRST TO LAST
Matt Nieto began the week with division-leading San Jose and finished it off with one of the worst teams in the NHL. He was claimed off waivers by Colorado.
Nieto delivered a big hit on his first shift with the Avalanche and then was awarded a penalty shot late in the first. Greiss made the glove save, but Nieto gave the struggling Avalanche a jolt after having just two assists in 16 games with the Sharks.
”I don’t think this is a bad team,” Nieto said. ”There’s a lot of talented guys in this room. A lot of young talent and it’s just a matter of being able to put a couple of wins together. We can definitely do it.”
Nieto finished with four shots in 17:29 of ice time.
NOTES: New York C Shane Prince went to the locker room late in the second period after being checking into the boards. He returned in the third. … Avalanche D Francois Beauchemin was scratched because of an illness. … The Islanders recalled D Adam Pelech from the AHL but he was a healthy scratch. … Colorado assigned G Jeremy Smith to the minors to make room for Nieto on the roster.
UP NEXT
Islanders: Play at Arizona on Saturday night.
Avalanche: Host Anaheim on Thursday night after a five-day layoff.
DENVER (AP) Nathan MacKinnon and the Colorado Avalanche finally got to celebrate at home.
MacKinnon scored 4:43 into overtime, and the Avalanche beat the New York Islanders 2-1 on Friday night for their first win at home in more than seven weeks.
MacKinnon also assisted on Gabriel Landeskog’s first-period goal, and Calvin Pickard finished with 35 saves for Colorado.
It was the Avalanche’s first home win since Nov. 15. They had lost 10 of 11 overall, with their only victory in the last four weeks coming in Chicago on Dec. 23.
”Huge relief. It’s tough to get out of a streak when you’re losing every game at home,” coach Jared Bednar said. ”We weren’t playing with a whole lot of confidence. Hopefully this builds some of that and we can string some wins together. It’s been a long time, it’s been tough.”
The Avalanche held the Islanders in check after the last three visiting teams scored six times each at Pepsi Center. Johnny Boychuk had New York’s only goal, and Thomas Greiss made 37 stops.
The Islanders had not played since Dec. 31 in Winnipeg.
”I thought we played a pretty good hockey game after the break and I thought we had chances we just didn’t score on them,” Islanders center John Tavares said. ”Obviously an unfortunate call in overtime and those are tough to kill and then an unfortunate bounce.”
With Calvin De Haan off for hooking Landeskog at 3:34 of overtime, the Avalanche took control of the puck in the New York end. Greiss stopped Jarome Iginla, but MacKinnon knocked in the rebound.
”It was a long time coming,” MacKinnon said. ”It’s been tough at home – it’s been tough in general. Wins haven’t been easy to get.”
Landeskog put Colorado in front 6:06 into the game and it stayed that way until Boychuk tied it on a 5-on-3 power play at 17:34 of the second.
MacKinnon ended Colorado’s home futility with his 10th goal of the season.
FIRST TO LAST
Matt Nieto began the week with division-leading San Jose and finished it off with one of the worst teams in the NHL. He was claimed off waivers by Colorado.
Nieto delivered a big hit on his first shift with the Avalanche and then was awarded a penalty shot late in the first. Greiss made the glove save, but Nieto gave the struggling Avalanche a jolt after having just two assists in 16 games with the Sharks.
”I don’t think this is a bad team,” Nieto said. ”There’s a lot of talented guys in this room. A lot of young talent and it’s just a matter of being able to put a couple of wins together. We can definitely do it.”
Nieto finished with four shots in 17:29 of ice time.
NOTES: New York C Shane Prince went to the locker room late in the second period after being checking into the boards. He returned in the third. … Avalanche D Francois Beauchemin was scratched because of an illness. … The Islanders recalled D Adam Pelech from the AHL but he was a healthy scratch. … Colorado assigned G Jeremy Smith to the minors to make room for Nieto on the roster.
UP NEXT
Islanders: Play at Arizona on Saturday night.
Avalanche: Host Anaheim on Thursday night after a five-day layoff.
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