Back from break, Blue Jackets sharp in routing Islanders 7-0

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Unlike some other NHL teams coming off their bye week, there wasn't a spot of rust on the sleek Columbus Blue Jackets.

In their first game following a five-day break, the high-energy Blue Jackets blew out the New York Islanders 7-0 Saturday as backup goalie Joonas Korpisalo earned his first career shutout.

Josh Anderson and Nick Foligno each scored twice, and David Savard had a goal and three assists. Boone Jenner and Jack Johnson also scored to help the Blue Jackets end New York's three-game winning streak.

Columbus has a comfortable hold on the top wild card in the Eastern Conference, while the Islanders are in a tight race for the final playoff berth.

Anderson said the mandatory hiatus did the Blue Jackets good.

"I think we need the break, to be honest with you," he said. "I know it hasn't been working out in other teams' favor, but for us to move away from each other for a little bit, to get some rest, and I thought our energy was really good tonight. It started off with practice yesterday. I thought we were really good, and we just came out tonight and played simple."

Columbus limited the Islanders' time in the offensive zone, and Korpisalo stopped all 24 shots.

"My part was pretty easy today," said the 22-year-old Finn, who's been back and forth between Columbus and AHL affiliate Cleveland this season.

"Korpi made some great saves in that first period to give us a chance to get our legs underneath us," Columbus coach John Tortorella said. "That was a very important part of the game."

Johnson got Columbus started when his shot from the point bounced off the skate of New York's Nick Leddy and through goalie Thomas Greiss' pads 5:19 into the game.

Later in the first, Cam Atkinson's shot from the left circle was stopped by Greiss, but the rebound trickled back out from between his legs, and a charging Jenner tapped it in .

Foligno capped the first-period barrage when he deked the goalie and scored on a backhand.

The Blue Jackets outshot the Islanders 17-9 in the period, and Greiss was benched in favor of Jean-Francois Berube.

It didn't seem to matter. Anderson kept it going 4:31 into the second with a sharp one-timer from the high slot off Jenner's pass. Late in the period, Anderson got another one when he picked the pocket of defender Thomas Hickey in the neutral zone and launched a rocket past Berube from the right circle.

The highlight-reel goals continued in the third period when an airborne pass from Savard found Foligno for a breakaway 6:06 in. Savard flicked in the seventh goal from the right circle with 6½ minutes left.

Greiss stopped 14 of 17 shots in the first period, and Berube stopped 24 of 28 the rest of the way.

Islanders center John Tavares said there was plenty of blame to go around.

"Clearly we were pretty off today," he said. "What was disappointing the most was that we didn't even give ourselves a chance with the way we competed. It wasn't even mistakes or poor execution. We made it so easy for them to play against. It's tough to explain now."

NOTES: Columbus was without forward Matt Calvert and center Lukas Sedlak. Both have oblique strains. Markus Hannikainen was recalled from Cleveland of the American Hockey League. ... New York forward Cal Clutterbuck was out with an injury for the 15th time in 20 games. D Adam Pelech also was scratched. ... Columbus completed a 4-3 homestand, its longest of the season. ... Savard got his 100th career point with an assist on Johnson's first-period goal. ... New York is 2-1-0 during a stretch of nine straight road games.

UP NEXT

Islanders: At the Dallas Stars on Thursday night.

Blue Jackets: At the New York Rangers on Sunday.

Prince on IR, Kearns recalled

The New York Islanders placed Shane Prince (upper body) on injured reserve on Wednesday, retroactive to Feb. 12. Bracken Kearns was an emergency recall from the Bridgeport Sound Tigers in wake of Prince heading to IR.
 
Cal Clutterbuck (lower body) and Casey Cizikas (upper body) both left Tuesday's win over Detroit, leaving the Islanders with 10 forwards in the third period. Stephen Gionta is the Islanders extra forward on the trip, but if both Cizikas and Clutterbuck can't play on Thursday Kearns will make his season debut.

The 35-year-old forward leads the Sound Tigers with 40 points (18G, 22A) in 51 games this season. He played a pair of games for the Islanders at the end of last season, recording one assist.

Prince has 16 points (5G, 11A) in 43 games this season. He's missed five straight games due to his injury.

Connor Jones Agrees to One-Year, Two-Way Deal

The New York Islanders announced today, forward Connor Jones has agreed to terms on a one-year, two-way (NHL/AHL) contract for the remainder of the 2016-17 season. He has been loaned to the team's American Hockey League affiliate, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers

Jones, 26, has played 47 games with the Sound Tigers this season, recording 17 points (five goals, 12 assists) and a plus-10 rating. The third-year pro initially signed a professional tryout (PTO) with Bridgeport at the beginning of the 2015-16 campaign and notched 13 points (six goals, seven assists) in 51 games with the Sound Tigers last season. In addition, he appeared in three Calder Cup Playoff games with Bridgeport in 2015-16. 

A native of Trail, BC, Jones split his first professional season between the Oklahoma City Barons (AHL) and Bakersfield Condors (ECHL) in 2014-15. The 5'9, 180-pound forward registered 10 points (four goals, six assists) in 41 regular-season games and three goals in 10 playoff contests with Oklahoma City.

Prior to turning pro, Jones played four seasons at Quinnipiac University alongside his twin brother and fellow Sound Tigers forward, Kellen Jones. C. Jones logged 129 points (49 goals, 80 assists) and 151 penalty minutes in 153 games with the Bobcats.

- New York Islanders

Islanders open 9-game road trip with 3-1 win over Red Wings

By LARRY LAGE
Associated Press 

DETROIT (AP) — The New York Islanders need to turn around their lackluster rate of success on the road to rally into the NHL playoffs. At the start of a nine-game road trip, they skated in the right direction.

Calvin de Haan was credited with a go-ahead goal that caromed off an opponent late in the second period and the Islanders went on to beat the Detroit Red Wings 3-1 Tuesday night.

The Islanders, in contention for a wild-card spot, started the day tied with Dallas for the fewest points on the road with a 7-18-4 record.

"It's huge to win this game," said New York coach Doug Weight acknowledged. "We got two tough tests coming. We got Montreal and Columbus. It doesn't get easy. Detroit just won two in a row against the best two teams in the league."

The Red Wings, coming off wins at Pittsburgh and against Washington, went into their bye week with the expectation the franchise will try to trade players because it has a slim chance of extending a playoff streak to 26.

"We know it's going to be tough one, but we still believe in here at least," Detroit captain Henrik Zetterberg said.

De Haan's shot from above the left circle was stopped by Petr Mrazek, but the rebound went off Detroit defenseman Xavier Ouellet and the back of the goaltender's left leg and into the net. John Tavares scored early in the third period to give the Islanders a two-goal lead and they coasted to the victory.

New York's Josh Bailey had a goal and an assist, matching his career high of 41 points set two years ago. Thomas Greiss stopped 26 shots.

Henrik Zetterberg scored for Detroit and Mrazek finished with 19 saves.

Mrazek made a mistake late in the first period and New York took advantage. He played the puck from behind the net, passing it to his left right onto Bailey's stick to set up the game's first goal.

"Obviously, there's a lot of luck involved there," Bailey said. "I was staying on the wall hoping that he would throw it down the middle and I could get to it, but he fanned on it a little and that's how I got it. We were laughing on the bench because I had to wait for Anders (Lee) to get out of my way so that I could shoot.

The Red Wings tied it with one-tenth of a second left in the first on Zetterberg's goal on the power play for the NHL's worst team with an extra skater off a faceoff with 3.2 seconds left. Detroit's Fran Nielsen won the draw against Tavares, a former teammate, and Thomas Vanek pushed the puck to his right to assist Zetterberg on the tying goal.

Tavares, who was stopped by a spectacular, sprawling save in the second period, scored in the third period just to the left of the right circle off a slick pass from Bailey as he skated into the left circle.

"This is the solid start we needed for the road trip," Tavares said. "We know that we've got to climb the ladder during this trip, and we also need to put some space between us and the teams behind us."

NOTES: New York F Cal Clutterbuck returned after a nine-game absence because of a lower-body injury and was unable to finish the game because he aggravated his ailment. "It's precautionary," Weight insisted. ... Islanders C Casey Cizikas skated off the ice and went to his team's dressing room after appearing to injure his left hand and didn't return. Weight said Cizikas would be evaluated Wednesday. ... New York D Travis Hamonic (lower body) is nearing his return after being out for more than a month. ... Detroit G Jimmy Howard, who has been out for nearly two months with a knee injury, said he does not know when he will be cleared to make another rehab appearance for the AHL's Grand Rapids Griffins. ... Detroit's backup goalie, Jared Coreau, is expected to play for the Griffins this week. ... Weight, who is from Michigan, said he skated with the team during the morning skate because it was his last scheduled visit to Joe Louis Arena, which will be replaced by a new arena next season.

UP NEXT

Islanders: Play Thursday night at Montreal.

Red Wings: Idle until returning from bye Feb. 28 at Vancouver.

Strome's two goals leads Isles past Devils 6-4

Ryan Strome had two goals and one assist as the New York Islanders defeated the New Jersey Devils 6-4 on Sunday.

The Islanders (27-21-10, 64 points) extended their home point streak to 11 games (9-0-2) with the win.

The Islanders have won six consecutive home games against the Devils (25-24-10, 60 points) dating to March 29, 2014 (NJD: 0-4-2).

Casey Cizikas, Andrew Ladd, John Tavares and Jason Chimera also scored for the Islanders.

Jean-Francois Berube made 26 saves for New York (27-21-10), which salvaged a home-and-home series split following a 3-2 loss at the Devils on Saturday.

"I thought we played a hard game, were tough to play against and we went to the front of the net," Strome said. "In our loss [Saturday], we didn't have enough bodies in front. [Cory Schneider] saw the shots easily; we got in front and it paid off tonight."

Taylor Hall had a goal and two assists, Miles Wood, Kyle Palmieri and Joseph Blandisi scored, and Keith Kinkaid made 26 saves for New Jersey.

Kinkaid made his first start since a 5-2 loss against the Washington Capitals on Jan. 26.

Devils edge Islanders 3-2 behind Schneider's 40 saves

By DENIS P. GORMAN
Associated Press

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — For a franchise with three Stanley Cup championships and a long list of postseason appearances, the modern-day New Jersey Devils find themselves having to learn the lessons their predecessors knew by rote.

Games such as Saturday night's 3-2 win over the New York Islanders could go a long way toward shaping the organization's future.

Just ask head coach John Hynes.

"It was a playoff atmosphere," coach John Hynes said. "This is where you grow. This is where we're trying to grow out our team and grow our organization to get back (to the postseason), learn how to play in these games and (be) a team that can contend."

Cory Schneider made 40 saves and Travis Zajac had a short-handed goal and an assist to lead the Devils. Devante Smith-Pelley and Pavel Zacha also scored for New Jersey (25-23-10), which finished 3-2-0 on its longest homestand of the season.

"The most important thing is that we won," Smith-Pelley said.

New York dropped to 26-21-10, including 7-13-4 on the road. Andrew Ladd and Anthony Beauvillier scored for the Islanders, while Thomas Greiss made 18 saves.

Schneider stopped a penalty shot by John Tavares.

"We're going to have to win on the road if we're going to do anything," Islanders interim coach Doug Weight said.

The first of four regular-season meetings between the Metropolitan Division rivals — and the first half of a weekend home-and-home — was a matchup of teams trying to make up ground in the playoff race.

The Islanders are two points out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot, while New Jersey is four points back.

"The concern is you lose points," Weight said. "We're in the playoff race."

Sprung by Zajac's pass off the boards, Smith-Pelley opened the scoring at 7:10 of the first period with a backhand that beat Greiss between the legs.

"I was super relieved to contribute," Smith-Pelley said. "That goal kind of got us started."

Exactly a minute later, Schneider kept the Devils ahead with a blocker save on Tavares' penalty shot. Tavares was awarded the try when he was hooked on the arm by Zajac to thwart a semi-breakaway.

"(Tavares) likes to come in slow and pick up (a) little speed and play in tight," Schneider said. "I had to be patient and hold my ground."

Zajac's short-handed wrist shot from the left circle at 8:49 of the second doubled the Devils' lead. Tavares fell and lost the puck in the offensive end, allowing Zajac to counterattack with Adam Henrique on a 2-on-1.

Zacha added a power-play goal 6:21 into the third, but the Islanders mounted a comeback sparked by Ladd's goal at 8:58. Hynes used his coach's challenge to see if Tavares interfered with Schneider, but the ruling on the ice was upheld after a replay review.

The Islanders closed within one on Beauvillier's snap shot off the rush at 13:48.

New York outshot the Devils 42-21.

"The first 20 (minutes) wasn't great," Islanders defenseman Calvin de Haan said. "But the last 40, like I said, I thought we carried play."

NOTES: New Jersey finished 1 for 2 with the man advantage and killed off all three New York power plays. ... Before the game, the Devils acquired D Viktor Loov from Toronto for C Sergey Kalinin. New Jersey assigned the 24-year-old Loov to its AHL affiliate in Albany, New York. Loov has 42 points (11 goals, 31 assists) and 127 penalty minutes in 170 AHL games. ... The Devils scratched LW Michael Cammalleri, who has not scored a goal since Jan. 3, a stretch of 18 games. In 51 games this season, Cammalleri has 10 goals, which is tied for third on the team with Zajac. Smith-Pelley dressed in Cammalleri's place. New Jersey also scratched D Seth Helgeson. ... New York RW Cal Clutterbuck missed his eighth straight game with a lower-body injury, and Islanders D Travis Hamonic sat out his 19th consecutive game with a lower-body injury. ... The Islanders scratched C Shane Prince and C Adam Pelech. ... The game was the second half of a day-night doubleheader at Prudential Center. No. 2 Villanova routed Seton Hall 92-70 in the men's college basketball game earlier in the day. ... The announced attendance was 16,514.

UP NEXT

The teams meet again Sunday night in Brooklyn.

Ladd scores 2 as Islanders beat rival Rangers 4-2

By VIN A. CHERWOO
Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Two nights after a bad road loss, the New York Islanders bounced back with a key home win against one of their biggest rivals.

Andrew Ladd scored twice to lead the Islanders to a 4-2 victory over the Rangers on Thursday night. Anders Lee and Nikolay Kulemin also scored, and Thomas Greiss stopped 25 shots to help the Islanders improve to 8-0-2 in their last 10 at home.

"It was a huge game for us," Lee said. "A good response from our last outing."

The Islanders were coming off a 7-1 loss at Toronto on Tuesday night when they had a chance to move past the Maple Leafs into a playoff spot.

John Tavares had two assists for his 12th multipoint game of the season, helping the Islanders move back within a point of Toronto for the second wild card in the Eastern Conference.

When asked if this was the Islanders' biggest win of the season, interim coach Doug Weight didn't hesitate to agree.

"Our place in the standings would be an obvious (reason)," he said. "Crucial bounce-back. ... If you don't have a deep effort against the New York Rangers, you're not going to beat them. They're too good. They're deep. ... They've got a solid team."

The Islanders, who swept the four games between the teams a year ago, beat the Rangers for the second time in three meetings this season. The Rangers have also lost all four matchups at Barclays Center since the Islanders moved to Brooklyn before last season.

"We just had a hard time making plays in their end tonight," Rangers coach Alain Vigneault said. "You've got to give the opposition credit, they played a good game. We seem to be having issues in this building right now."

Nick Holden and Jimmy Vesey scored for the Rangers, whose season-high six-game winning streak was snapped. Henrik Lundqvist finished with 19 saves.

Ladd had an empty-netter for his 14th with 1:10 left, and then nearly got another in the final minute when he hit a goalpost.

The Rangers went on a four-minute power play on a high-sticking double-minor on the Islanders' Josh Bailey in the closing seconds of the second period. However, the Islanders extended their lead to 3-1 with a short-handed goal at 3:03 of the third. Tavares and Kulemin were attacking in the offensive zone and had several chances in front. Tavares then got the puck behind the net and passed it to Kulemin in front, and he put it past Lundqvist for his 10th.

"It was right there, and he kept hacking and whacking and the puck was bouncing," Lundqvist said. "When it went behind (the net), I thought we had it covered. ... We didn't sort it out and it cost us."

Vesey pulled the Rangers back within one 43 seconds later — with seconds left on the power play — when he knocked in a rebound of a shot by Brady Skjei for his 14th. Weight challenged for goalie interference because the Rangers' Rick Nash fell into Greiss before Vesey knocked it in, but the goal stood after a review.

The Rangers, who lead the NHL with 19 road wins, lost for just the second time in their last 10 away from home.

Trailing 1-0 after one period, the Islanders took the lead with two goals less than 4 minutes apart in the second.

The tying score came after some slick passing as Tavares sent it from the right corner to Bailey in the right circle. Bailey then quickly sent it across the front of the crease to Lee, who settled the puck, turned and put it into the open left side of the net for his 22nd at 2:43.

Stephen Gionta then knocked the Rangers' Marc Staal off the puck behind the net and sent a pass in front to Ladd, who poked it in past Lundqvist from the right side at 6:24.

Holden got the Rangers on the scoreboard in the first period just 8 seconds after his hooking penalty expired with his ninth at 6:23 on the Rangers' first shot on goal.

NOTES: Rangers D Kevin Klein missed the game due to flu-like symptoms. He was replaced in the lineup by Adam Clendening. Vigneault also put LW Matt Puempel in place of fellow rookie Pavel Buchnevich. ... The Rangers won at home 5-3 in the teams' season opener and the Islanders won 4-2 in Brooklyn on Dec. 6. The teams conclude the season series March 22 at Madison Square Garden. ... The Islanders play 18 of their last 26 games on the road, where they are just 7-12-4. "We have a lot of road games and a crappy road record. ... We've got to get better on the road," Weight said. "We haven't played horribly, but we're not getting the results." ... Injured Islanders D Travis Hamonic and RW Cal Clutterbuck both skated Thursday morning, but neither is ready to return.

UP NEXT

Rangers: Host Eastern Conference-leading Washington on Sunday.

Islanders: At New Jersey on Saturday night to start a two-night, home-and-home set with the Devils.

Matthews scores twice, Maple Leafs rout Islanders 7-1

By ASSOCIATED PRESS

TORONTO (AP) -- A loss would have knocked the Toronto Maple Leafs out of playoff position. Instead, they trounced the New York Islanders and set a season high for goals.

Auston Matthews scored twice, Frederik Andersen earned his 100th NHL win and the Maple Leafs routed the Islanders 7-1 on Tuesday night in a game with major postseason implications.

Toronto won for the third time in nine games and moved three points ahead of New York for the second wild card in the Eastern Conference. The Maple Leafs trail Boston and Ottawa by one point for the final two automatic playoff spots in the Atlantic Division.

"I think we came out and just played the right way - played fast, just like our slogan says," said Matthews, referring to the "Play Fast. Play Right" mantra plastered across the team's dressing room walls. "When we do the right things we're definitely a tough team to play against."

Climbing up the standings since interim coach Doug Weight replaced Jack Capuano behind the bench, New York fell to 10-4-2 in its past 16 games.

Matthews increased his rookie total to 27 goals and Andersen stopped 33 shots. Josh Leivo had a career-high three points with one goal and two assists in just under 10 minutes for Toronto.

Nazem Kadri and William Nylander each had a goal and an assist. Tyler Bozak and Matt Hunwick also scored for the Maple Leafs.

Jason Chimera scored on a penalty shot for New York. Thomas Greiss and Jean-Francois Berube combined to give up seven goals on 41 shots.

After slow starts in their previous two games (both losses), the Maple Leafs decided to change up their routine and did not hold a morning skate Tuesday.

"We just thought it was the best thing for us," coach Mike Babcock said.

The switch spurred the desired result against the Islanders, as Toronto raced out to a 2-0 lead after 20 minutes.

Leivo started the scoring just past the midway point of the first period, ripping a shot from the top of the left circle past Greiss. It was the first goal of the season for the 23-year-old Leivo, who suited up for only his fifth game. He got a rare opportunity to play with rookie wing Nikita Soshnikov sidelined by injury.

Kadri added to the lead with 32 seconds left in the period, inadvertently deflecting Nikita Zaitsev's point shot into the empty cage behind Greiss. The goal was Kadri's first in the past 10 games and 21st of the season, setting a career high.

New York, which won the first two meetings between the teams this season (including 6-5 in overtime against Andersen a week earlier), had its share of decent opportunities early on, twice hitting posts on shots from Brock Nelson and Josh Bailey.

Babcock credited Andersen for stabilizing things early amid some "heavy" offensive zone pressure from the Islanders.

"I thought Freddy made some real good saves tonight and the better your goalie plays, the more you settle down and the more you get dialed in," the coach said.

Toronto made it 3-0 midway through the second when Kadri fired a puck on goal from along the wall as he rushed down the left side. Greiss made a stick save, but shuffled it right to Nylander crashing the net. The puck bounced off the right knee of the 20-year-old Swede for his 15th goal this season, tied with Mitch Marner for second among Maple Leafs rookies behind Matthews.

From there, Andersen took over.

With the Maple Leafs short-handed, the 27-year-old shut down John Tavares and then Bailey moments later. After a 3-on-1 for Toronto came up empty, Andersen denied Chimera on a breakaway.

But the officials ruled Hunwick impeded Chimera's progress on the play. The veteran forward was awarded a penalty shot and he beat Andersen high to the blocker side to cut Toronto's lead to 3-1.

Andersen has scuffled in the new year, entering the night with an .893 save percentage in 16 starts since Jan. 1. He had been sitting on 99 wins for almost two weeks, his last victory coming on Feb. 4.

"I mean, it's nice, but it's more important the 26 we have as a team this year," he said.

Matthews pushed Toronto's lead back to three early in the third period, flipping a backhand rebound past Greiss on the power play. The rookie sensation another goal a short while later, depositing Connor Brown's feed from behind the net.

"Obviously, you know he's a real good player, but the NHL is a really good league and it's hard to score goals in this league," Babcock said of Matthews, who has four multigoal games this season. "He plays on a good line and he's an elite player and very determined with an elite, heavy shot and he goes to the traffic areas and that's where you score."

NOTES: The 19-year-old Matthews leads all rookies in goals and is three behind Sidney Crosby for the overall NHL lead. Matthews became the first Maple Leafs rookie since Daniel Marois in 1988-89 to reach 27 goals and is seven shy of equaling Wendel Clark's franchise rookie record. ... Babcock said Leivo earned another look on Wednesday night at Columbus - even with Soshnikov ready to return.

UP NEXT

Islanders: Host the rival New York Rangers on Thursday night.

Maple Leafs: Head to Columbus on Wednesday to complete their 13th back-to-back set of the season. The club is 9-2-2 on the first night and 4-7-1 on the second.

Lee scores 2 to lead Islanders to 5-1 win over Avalanche

NEW YORK (AP) — Just a month ago, the New York Islanders were mired in last place in the Eastern Conference. Their best stretch of the season now has them just a point out of a playoff spot.

Anders Lee scored two of New York's three third-period goals to lead the Islanders to a 5-1 victory over the league-worst Colorado Avalanche on Sunday night.

New York won for the third time in four games and improved to 10-3-2 in the last 15 to pull one point behind Toronto and Philadelphia for the second wild-card spot in Eastern Conference. The Islanders visit the Maple Leafs on Tuesday night.

"We've had to come out of a hole and we're not really quite out of there," Islanders captain John Tavares said. "We're still battling hard and we've still got a lot of work ahead of us. ... Guys are finding their rhythm and their roles and we're feeding off one another."

Nick Leddy had a goal and two assists, Ryan Strome and Jason Chimera also scored and Tavares and Johnny Boychuk added two assists each. Jean-Francois Berube stopped 25 shots in his fifth start of the season as New York improved to 7-0-2 in its last nine at home.

"I was sharp, I didn't give too many sloppy rebounds," Berube said. "Guys were talking a lot on the ice and that helps a lot to find the puck."

Joe Colborne scored for Colorado and Calvin Pickard finished with 28 saves.

Colorado coach Jared Bednar pointed to his team taking eight penalties and giving up five power-play chances — including a two-man advantage in the second period — as a big reason for his team's loss. The Islanders scored twice on those chances.

"It's just too many," Bednar said. "That's where they gained their traction and their momentum, on their power plays — especially the 5-on-3."

With the Islanders ahead 2-1 after two periods, Lee put them ahead by two just 1:21 into the third as he got a pass across in front from Tavares and put it in from the right side.

"A team that's had the year they've had, you kind of want to step on their throats, so to speak, when you get the opportunity," Tavares said. "You don't want to give them any life and we did a good job of that early in the third."

Lee made it a three-goal game when he scored from the left side on a power play for his 21st with just over 8 1/2 minutes to go.

Chimera added his 13th for a 5-1 lead with 6:12 remaining. It was his eighth goal in the last 15 games.

With Colborne off for boarding, Colorado's Fedor Tyutin was whistled for high-sticking Tavares with about 5 1/2 minutes to go in the second period to put New York on a 5-on-3 for 26 seconds.

The Islanders took a 2-1 lead just 18 seconds later as Tavares sent a pass across from the right dot to Strome, who fired it in from the left circle with 5:14 remaining in the middle period.

Colborne got the Avalanche on the scoreboard at 8:12 of the first period as he got the puck in the high slot, skated in on Berube and deked a backhand before putting a forehand in. It was Colborne's fourth of the season, but first since a hat trick in the season-opening win against Dallas on Oct. 15.

Leddy tied it at 1 when he wristed a shot from the left side beyond the left circle that got past a screened Pickard for his ninth with 7:59 to go.

Berube's best save of the period came on a one-timer from John Mitchell from the right circle that the goalie stopped and then smothered with about 3 1/2 minutes remaining.

"It was a great win for J.F.," Islanders interim coach Doug Weight said. "We had the better Grade-A chances (in the first period) but they had three or four really good (ones)."

NOTES: Colborne, signed as a free agent in the offseason, had an assist at Tampa Bay on Oct. 20 in the fourth game of the season, but no points in the next 38 games. ... Colorado fell to 2-26-1 when trailing after two periods. The Islanders improved to 18-0-4 when leading heading after 40 minutes. New York is also now 24-5-3 when scoring at least three goals. ... Leddy's assist on Strome's goal in the second period was his 200th career point. ... New York will play 18 of its last 27 games on the road, where it is 7-11-4.

UP NEXT

Avalanche: At New Jersey on Tuesday night in the middle game of a season-high five-game trip.

Islanders: At Toronto on Tuesday night.

Senators' Anderson has 33-save shutout vs. Islanders

By ASSOCIATED PRESS

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) Ottawa Senators goaltender Craig Anderson was just glad to be back around his teammates and to pick up a win. That it was a shutout was icing on the cake.

Anderson made his first start in 69 days and turned aside 33 shots as the Ottawa Senators beat the New York Islanders 3-0 on Saturday. Anderson left the club in early December to be with his wife, Nicholle, who is battling cancer, and returned to practice last week.

''It felt great. Got two points, got the win,'' he said. ''I think it was an exciting day for myself to get back in the net and just be there for the guys and feel that camaraderie.''

The shutout was the fourth of the season for Anderson in just 20 games and the eighth of the season for the Senators. Mike Condon has the other four. The win is the second straight for the Senators.

''I got a little luck and we got a little luck at the other end,'' Anderson said. ''It's one of those nights where fate was in our favor.''

Mark Stone, Zack Smith and Jean-Gabriel Pageau scored for the Senators (29-18-6), who now have six goals in their past two games after being outscored 10-0 in the two previous games.

Thomas Greiss made 21 saves for the Islanders (24-19-10) in his eighth start in the past nine games. It was just the second regulation loss for the Islanders in their past 12 games.

''You have games like that but give credit to their goaltender. We probably could have done a better job getting more pucks toward the net, but I think there's a lot of things that we liked about our game,'' Islanders forward Andrew Ladd said.

Stone opened the scoring at 4:10 of the first period.

After stealing the puck from Alan Quine in the Islanders' zone, Stone fed Erik Karlsson, who missed the net with his shot. Stone followed up behind the net, collected the puck and banked a shot from behind the goal line off Greiss and in.

Smith gave the Senators a 2-0 lead at 4:35 of the second period. Kyle Turris sent Smith in alone and he moved the puck from his backhand to his forehand to beat Greiss.

A little less than three minutes later, Pageau put the Senators up 3-0 when he redirected a pass from Tom Pyatt past Greiss at 7:12.

''It was a great pass from Pyatt,'' Paguea said. ''In the defensive zone we wanted to cut off their play and break out on the attack and that's what Pyatt did and then he put the puck right on my stick.''

Paguea also gave credit to Anderson.

''He's been there for us since the beginning and he's a competitor. He's there every shift and he gave us the big saves when we needed them and we tried to make life easier for him out there,'' Paguea said. ''When your goaltender comes back after a long break, you want to go and be solid in front of him. I think the guys did that.''

The Islanders had two power plays in the second period and outshot the Senators 14-5 in the middle frame, but they were unable to get anything past Anderson.

NOTES: Chris Neil, Curtis Lazar and Andrew Hammond were scratches for the Senators. Cal Clutterbuck, Stephen Gionta and Scott Mayfield were scratches for the Islanders. . Senators goaltender Andrew Hammond celebrated his 29th birthday on Saturday by being placed on waivers. ... The Islanders are 23-5-3 this season when they score at least three goals in a game. When they don't hit the three-goal mark, however, they are just 1-14-7.

UP NEXT

The Senators are off until Tuesday when they host the Buffalo Sabres.

The Islanders host the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday.

Chimera, Greiss lead Islanders to 3-1 win over Flyers

PHILADELPHIA (AP) After a rocky start to the season and a coaching change, the streaking New York Islanders are thrilled to be back in the playoff picture.

Jason Chimera scored the go-ahead goal early in the second period and Thomas Greiss made 34 saves to lead New York to a 3-1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday night.

Anders Lee and Casey Cizikas also scored for the Islanders, who have won nine of 13 to move closer to a postseason spot in the Eastern Conference.

''It's great to be in the area and mentioned with the (potential playoff) teams and not be on the bottom of the list that's not showing,'' Islanders interim coach Doug Weight said. ''We dug a big hole in the first 2 1/2 months. That's over. Now it's got to be playoff time for us every game.''

Wayne Simmonds scored for Philadelphia, which lost its third straight. The Flyers avoided getting shut out in three consecutive regular-season games for the first time in the franchise's 50-year history.

''We'll stick together and get back to work,'' coach Dave Hakstol said. ''That's how it is, especially after a tough night. We're all in it together.''

Boston, a 6-3 winner over San Jose on Thursday, bumped Philadelphia out of the second-wild card slot. The Flyers are now a point behind the Bruins, while the Islanders sit two behind Boston but with three games in hand on Philadelphia and four on the Bruins.

''We looked at the standings (Wednesday) and saw there were only two teams we had to jump to be in a (playoff) spot,'' Islanders captain John Tavares said. ''Each game is crucial, especially in our division, and we're just trying to climb the ladder.''

Chimera put the Islanders ahead 2:13 into the second period when he beat Steve Mason after getting in alone on the Flyers' goalie. Andrew Ladd set up the goal by lifting a pass over defenseman Radko Gudas' stick and right onto the tape for Chimera, whose backhand went high over Mason's blocker for a 2-1 New York lead.

''It was bouncing a little bit, and I just tried to chip it over his pad,'' Chimera said. ''Sometimes when the puck is rolling, just chip it and hope for the best. It worked out.''

Cizikas made it a two-goal advantage 1:21 into the third. After Mark Streit's turnover, Cizikas entered the Flyers zone and fanned on a shot attempt before wheeling around and scoring on a wrist shot that went under the pads of a surprised Mason. Philadelphia fans booed Mason loudly after the goal.

The Islanders improved to 7-1-2 under Weight, who took over when Jack Capuano was fired Jan. 17.

''Slowly we've inched our way back in it,'' Weight said. ''We've put ourselves into the conversation. We have a lot of work to do.''

Mason, playing in his first game since a 5-1 loss at Carolina on Jan. 31, made 27 saves.

The Flyers ended their scoreless streak at 134 minutes, 56 seconds, when Simmonds scored on the rebound of Shayne Gostisbehere's shot for a power-play goal with 7:53 remaining in the first period to give Philadelphia a 1-0 lead. The goal was confirmed after a video review.

Philadelphia had been 1 for 9 on the power play over the last three games, all of which a healthy Gostisbehere watched from the press box. The second-year defenseman, who finished second in last season's Rookie of the Year voting, was benched due to his defensive deficiencies.

After Streit was whistled for tripping, the Islanders scored their own power-play goal to tie the game at 1 with 3:20 left in the period when Lee deflected in Tavares' wrist shot.

NOTES: Ryan Strome extended his point streak to five games with his first-period assist. He has two goals and five assists during that stretch. ... The Flyers lead the four-game season series 2-1. Philadelphia skated to a 3-2 shootout victory on Nov. 3 and a 3-2 overtime win on Jan. 22. The teams will wrap up the season series March 30 in Philadelphia. ... Flyers rookie forward Travis Konecny (lower body) sat out the first game of what is expected to be a four-to-six-week absence after getting hurt in Monday's 2-0 loss to St. Louis. ... Cal Clutterbuck (lower body) missed his third straight game for the Islanders. Travis Hamonic (knee) has been out since Jan. 8.

UP NEXT

Islanders: At the Ottawa Senators on Saturday afternoon.

Flyers: Conclude a five-game homestand against San Jose on Saturday afternoon.

Islanders face Flyers in Philadelphia

Tonight, the New York Islanders head to Philadelphia to face the Philadelphia Flyers.

In their last game, Brock Nelson scored 2:42 into the overtime period giving the Islanders a 6-5 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday night. Nelson, Josh Bailey, Anders Lee and Ryan Strome each tallied multi-point games while Thomas Greiss made 27 saves in the win.

The last time these two teams faced, yhe Flyers rebounded from a 2-0 deficit to tie things up early in the third period and eventually took a 3-2 overtime win on Jan. 22. Nick Leddy and Alan Quine scored goals in the first and second period to give the Islanders the 2-0 lead, which Wayne Simmonds started chipping away at with a tally at 14:10 of the second period. Ivan Provorov then knotted the score 1:47 into the third period, setting the stage for an overtime where Claude Giroux converted a feed from Shayne Gostisbehere to snap a 13-game goalless drought. Steve Mason stopped 36 shots in the win, while Thomas Greiss fended off 44 of the Flyers’ 47 bids.

Before that, the teams faced on Nov. 3. For the second consecutive night, the Flyers tied a game in the final minutes and ended up winning in extra time, this time 3-2 in a shootout over the Islanders. After a scoreless first half of the game, Travis Konecny put the Flyers on the board with 8:49 left in the second period. But the Islanders tied it on a power play goal by John Tavares with 29 seconds left in the frame and jumped ahead when Dennis Seidenberg put one home with 6:05 to play in the third. The Flyers were in a 6-on-4 situation, with a power play and the net empty for an extra attacker, when Matt Read bagged the equalizer with just under 58 seconds left to play. After a scoreless overtime, Claude Giroux posted the only goal of the shootout, while Michal Neuvirth stopped three Islanders attempts. Neuvirth turned away 25 bids in regulation and overtime, while Jaroslav Halak made 40 saves on 42 Flyers shots.

Neuwirth is 7-2-0-1 with a 1.76 GAA in 11 GP vs. the Islanders. Mason is 8-2-0-3 with a 2.12 GAA, 2 SO in 15 GP against the Islanders.

Greiss is 2-2-0-2 with a 2.66 GAA in 7 GP vs. the Flyers, Berube has not faced Flyers yet in his career.

Since Jan. 13, Islanders captain, John Tavares leads the NHL in goals (9) and is second in points (16). Thomas Greiss is 13-4-3 in his last 19. Josh Bailey has 14 points (6G, 8A) in his last 11 games. Nick Leddy has 12 points (3G, 9A) in 12
games. Anders Lee has 13 points (4G, 9A) in his last 10 games.

All-time against Philadelphia, the Islanders are 99-128-26-7

The Flyers have been shut out in their last two games and have gone a total of 122:49 between goals, dating back to an empty netter with 14 seconds left vs. Montreal last Thursday.

These two teams will face again on Mar. 30 in Philadelphia.

Nelson's OT goal lifts Islanders past Maple Leafs 6-5

By VIN A. CHERWOO
AP Sports Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- After climbing back from a two-goal deficit, the New York Islanders didn't get deflated when Toronto regained the lead late in regulation.

They simply found a way to post another big home win.

Brock Nelson's second goal of the game at 2:42 of overtime lifted the Islanders to a 6-5 victory over the Maple Leafs on Monday night.

Trailing 5-4 late in the third period, the Islanders pulled goalie Thomas Greiss and tied it on Andrew Ladd's deflection with 1:29 left.

"We did a good job staying in the game," Nelson said. "There was never doubt in here. We never got down."

Josh Bailey had a goal and two assists, Ryan Strome contributed a goal and an assist, and Nikolay Kulemin also scored for the Islanders. New York stopped a two-game skid and improved to 6-0-2 in its last eight at home.

On the winning goal, Nelson got a pass from Bailey and beat Toronto goalie Frederik Andersen on the blocker side. That gave the Islanders their first win this season in a game they trailed after two periods (1-12-2).

William Nylander, who had his first career hat trick in a win at Boston on Saturday night, had given Toronto a 5-4 lead with 2:01 left in regulation when took a pass from Morgan Rielly and beat Greiss on the blocker side.

Ladd tied it with his 12th goal just 32 seconds later.

"The air kind of came out of us when they got their fifth for a quick second, but the bench got right back at it," Islanders interim coach Doug Weight said. "There's a lot of belief on the bench right now, they feel good about themselves and when you can find ways to win games like this, it's crucial."

Auston Matthews, Mitchell Marner, Nikita Soshnikov and Zach Hyman also scored for Toronto, which finished 2-4-0 on a season-high six-game trip. Rielly had three assists.

"We have to be better around the net," Andersen said. "They were getting to loose pucks too early. We have to be better at bearing down and getting pucks out of there."

The Islanders fell behind 4-2 midway through the second period before Nelson cut the deficit in half with his 12th of the season. He got a pass from Strome from behind the net and chipped it past Andersen from the left side.

"We got better as the game went on," Weight said. "We were a step behind a little bit on the forecheck and we were letting them dictate a lot early, and then I think we kind of just got a little (angry) and we got charged up ... and we seemed to gain some energy."

Bailey tied it with 6 1/2 minutes. It marked the third straight game the Islanders evened it after trailing 4-3 going into the third period.

They lost 5-4 at Detroit on Friday night, and then by the same score in overtime at home against Carolina on Saturday.

"We try to preach that no matter what happens in a game, we are resilient," Ladd said.

Marner put the Maple Leafs ahead 3-2 in the second period with his 14th goal at 5:12. Hyman got his third short-handed goal of the season at 9:34, bringing the puck up the left side and firing it past Greiss' blocker for his eighth.

NOTES: Andersen has now given up 19 goals on 114 shots over his last four outings, including allowing three on eight shots over 11:12 at Dallas last Tuesday. .... Maple Leafs D Connor Carrick played in his 100th career game. ... The Islanders also won the teams' first meeting, 5-1 here on Oct. 30. The teams conclude the season series Feb. 14 at Toronto. ... The Islanders, 6-10-4 on the road this season, play 21 of their last 31 games away from Barclays Center.

UP NEXT

Maple Leafs: Host Dallas on Tuesday in the opener of a four-game homestand.

Islanders: At Philadelphia on Thursday night.

Hainsey's OT goal lifts Hurricanes past Islanders, 5-4

NEW YORK (AP) -- Ron Hainsey knows the Carolina Hurricanes need to make up ground quickly to reach the playoffs for the first time in eight years.

That's why he was more focused on the importance of their latest win than getting his first two-goal game since Dec. 2, 2008.

"We need all the points we can get," Hainsey said after his second goal of the game at 2:08 of overtime lifted the Hurricanes to a 5-4 victory over the New York Islanders on Saturday night.

Hainsey hammered a feed from Justin Faulk from the slot after Jordan Staal won an offensive zone faceoff from John Tavares, who broke his stick on the play.

"We need them all. That's kind of the bottom line. We had an opportunity before the (All-Star) break with five games to get ourselves into a good spot (and) we got zero points out of 10," Hainsey said.

Carolina pulled four points behind Philadelphia for the Eastern Conference's second wild-card spot. The Islanders, who also lost 5-4 at Detroit on Friday night, are one point behind the Hurricanes.

Jacob Slavin, Lee Stempniak and Teuvo Teravainen also scored to help Carolina win its third straight after the All-Star Break. Cam Ward made 33 saves.

"It's a huge win for us," Stempniak said. "It's a huge two points for us."

Anders Lee, Casey Cizikas, Brock Nelson and Josh Bailey scored for the Islanders, who are 6-1-2 in their last nine games. Jean-Francois Berube gave up all five Hurricanes goals on 25 shots.

"It was a tough game for me," said Berube, who acknowledged he struggled reading and reacting to plays. "I just wasn't sharp."

Bailey scored the game's only power-play goal, slamming a slap shot from the slot after an offensive zone faceoff 8:33 into the third to tie the score 4-4.

"We fought," Islanders interim coach Doug Weight said. "But (it's) disappointing to come out of the two games (this weekend) with one point."

The Hurricanes went 0 for 3 on the power play while the Islanders were 1 for 4.

Cizikas put the Islanders ahead 2-1 with a diving deflection of Ryan Strome's cross-ice pass at 2:36 of the second.

Hainsey tied it 21 seconds later and Stempniak gave the Hurricanes a 3-2 lead with his 10th at 4:37.

The Islanders then pressured Carolina for a wide stretch of the period, and it paid off when Nelson whipped his 11th of the season past Ward with a minute left in the middle period to tie it again.

The tie lasted for all of 58 seconds, as Berube could not control the rebound of Brock McGinn's shot and Teravainen's quick shot from the slot sent the Hurricanes into the second intermission with a 4-3 advantage.

"That's the way you've got to answer back," Hurricanes coach Bill Peters said. "The Teravainen goal with the clock winding down in the second becomes a huge goal."

The Hurricanes took a 1-0 lead on Slavin's left circle slap shot at 9:53, only to see the Islanders tie it on Lee's tip of Dennis Seidenberg shot at 11:14.

"It's going to happen," Islanders defenseman Johnny Boychuk said. "We did give up some goals that were uncharacteristic of our team."

NOTES: New York honored LW Jason Chimera with an on-ice ceremony before the opening faceoff for playing 1,000 NHL games. Owner Jon Ledecky presented Chimera with a silver stick, while C John Tavares and LW Andrew Ladd gave Chimera a framed collage and a framed jersey. ... During his pregame media briefing, Weight said Cal Clutterbuck suffered a lower body injury in Friday night's loss at Detroit and would be replaced in the lineup by Shane Prince. ... New York also scratched D Scott Mayfield and RW Stephen Gionta. ... Carolina scratched D Ryan Murphy, D Matt Tennyson and RW Ty Rattie. ... The NHL selected February for its Hockey Is For Everyone initiative. As part of the monthlong proposal the Islanders hosted You Can Play Night. According to its website, the You Can Play Project aims "to ensure the safety and inclusion of all in sports-including LGBTQ athletes, coaches and fans." ... The announced attendance at Barclays Center was 14,153.

UP NEXT

Hurricanes: At Washington on Tuesday night.

Islanders: Host Toronto on Monday night.

Islanders face Hurricanes in Brooklyn

Tonight, the Islanders face the Carolina Hurricanes in Brooklyn.

The Hurricanes defeated the Islanders 7-4 at PNC Arena on Jan. 14.

Saturday’s game is the second of five meetings between the two squads in 2016-17, and the first played in Brooklyn.

Carolina leads the all-time series, 68-47-16-2 (133), including 34-24-8-1 (67) at home and 34-23-8-1 (66) on the road The teams will meet five times during the 2016-17 season: at CAR: Jan. 14 (W, 7-4), March 14, and April 6; at NYI: Feb. 4 and March 13.

Cam Ward is 20-4-4 with a 2.63 GAA and one shutout in 31 career appearances against New York. Eddie Lack is 2-1-1 with a 2.93 GAA in six career games against the Islanders.

Thomas Greiss is 2-2-1 with a 3.01 GAA in six career games against Carolina. Jean-Francois Berube is 1-0-0 with a 2.77 GAA in one career appearance against the Hurricanes.

Last night, Danny Dekeyser's goal with 28 seconds remaining lifted the Red Wings over the Islanders 5-4 Friday night, snapping New York's seven
game point streak. Jason Chimera tallied a goal while playing in his 1000th NHL game. John Tavares & Anders Lee each recordedmulti-point games in the loss. 

Since Jan. 13, Islanders captain, John Tavares leads the NHL in goals (9) and points (16). Thomas Greiss is 12-4-3 in his last 18. Josh Bailey has nine points (4G, 5A) in his last nine games. Jason Chimera has seven points (6G, 1A) in his last 10 games. Nick Leddy has 11 points (3G, 8A) in 10 games. Anders Lee has nine points (3G, 6A) in his last eight games.

Red Wings beat Islanders 5-4 on DeKeyser's late goal

By LARRY LAGE
AP Hockey Writer

DETROIT (AP) -- Danny DeKeyser scored with 27.9 remaining in regulation, lifting the Detroit Red Wings to a 5-4 win over the New York Islanders on Friday night.

DeKeyser's shot from the left side of the left circle caromed off two Islanders defensemen, Nick Leddy and Thomas Hickey, and into the net.

Detroit had a one-goal lead for 20 minutes before Jason Chimera made it 4-all with 2:26 left in the third period. Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill challenged that Chimera was offside, but the goal that he chipped in between the post and Petr Mrazek stood off Darren Helm's turnover.

Henrik Zetterberg had a go-ahead goal late in the second period scored 23 seconds after John Tavares pulled the Islanders into a 3-all tie. Helm and Anthony Mantha had goals 2:20 apart earlier in the period to put Detroit ahead after it trailed 2-1 following the first.

Mrazek stopped 32 shots, earning a much-needed victory after winning only one of previous nine games.

Thomas Greiss had 19 saves for the Islanders. He was 5-0-1, allowing just eight goals, in his previous six games.

Detroit avoided losing a season-high sixth straight game. The Islanders had matched a season high with a three-game winning streak and were 6-0-1 in their previous seven games.

The Red Wings gave up the first goal - as they have in 31 of 50 games - and went on to win for just the 12th time after trailing 1-0. Josh Bailey put New York ahead 3:43 into the game on its second shot.

Luke Glendenning pulled Detroit into a tie for the first of two times midway through the opening period, redirecting Jonathan Ericsson's shot, but Andrew Ladd put the Islanders up 2-1 just 1:28 later.

The Red Wings surged into the lead with goals from Helm, Mantha - taking advantage of Tomas Tatar's passes - and Zetterberg in a 5:30 stretch of the second period when they suddenly seemed to play like an inspired team.

Mantha and Gustav Nyquist were criticized by Blashill for skating slowly on a key goal in their last loss to New Jersey. Both seemed to get the get the message, appearing to play with more of a sense of urgency.

NOTES: Red Wings F Frans Nielsen, a former Islanders standout, left the game with an upper-body injury. ... New York's Thomas Hickey and Cal Clutterbuck returned from lower-body injuries that kept them out of the lineup two games and one game, respectively. Clutterbuck was not able to finish the game because of a lower-body injury. ... Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin officially urged the New York Islanders on Friday to consider moving to Hartford. The Islanders' future in Brooklyn was called into question Monday when it was reported arena management wasn't counting on any revenue from the hockey club beyond the 2018-19 season. ... Detroit G Jimmy Howard, out since Dec. 20 with a knee injury, is expected to take a step toward coming back by playing Saturday night for the AHL's Grand Rapids Griffins. ... Glendenning scored his second goal of the season and his first in nearly three months. ... Detroit beat the Islanders 4-3 in overtime on Dec. 4 in their first of three meetings and they will return Feb. 21 to Joe Louis Arena. ... Chimera played in his 1,000th NHL game, ranking 20th among active players in the league.

UP NEXT

Islanders: Host Carolina on Saturday night at Barclays Center, where they will play just 12 of their last 34 games.

Red Wings: Play at Nashville on Saturday night.

Islanders face Red Wings in Detroit

Tonight, the New York Islanders head to the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit to face the Detroit Red Wings in the two teams' 108th all-time meeting, 53rd at Detroit., and the 2nd of 3 meetings between the two teams this season. This is the first of two meetings in Detroit this season.

In the Islanders' last game, Alan Quine, Ryan Strome & Johnny Boychuk each tallied goals to help the Islanders close out their season-long homestand with a win over the Washington Capitals. Casey Cizikas recorded his 100th NHL point while Thomas Greiss made 28 saves in the 3-2 victory.

The Islanders' top scorers against Detroit are Jason Chimera (7-15-22 in 49 GP), Andrew Ladd (11-7-18 in 26 GP), John Tavares (4-12-16 in 13 GP), Nick Leddy (3-8-11 in 24 GP), and Cal Clutterbuck (5-4-9 in 29 GP).

The Red Wings' top scorers against the Islanders are Thomas Vanek (11-13-24 in 35 GP), Mike Green (7-11-18 in 31 GP), Tomas Tatar (4-6-10 in 11 GP), Henrik Zetterberg (3-7-10 in 17 GP), and Darren Helm (3-5-8 in 11 GP).

Islander forward Jason Chimera has a chance to play in his 1000th NHL game tonight in Detroit. He currently sits at 999 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.

Since Jan. 13, Islanders captain, John Tavares leads the NHL in goals (8) and points (14). Thomas Greiss is 12-3-3 in his last 17 and is currently riding a five game point steak (4-0-1), since Jan. 13 Greiss leads in NHL in saves made with 232. Josh Bailey has eight points (3G, 5A) in his last nine games. Jason Chimera has six points (5G, 1A) in his last nine games. Nikolay Kulemin has five points (3G, 2A) in seven games. Nick Leddy has 11 points (3G, 8A) in nine games. Anders Lee has seven points (3G, 4A) in his last seven games. 

Islanders beat Capitals, improve to 5-0-1 under Weight

By ASSOCIATED PRESS

NEW YORK (AP) -- Ryan Strome and Johnny Boychuk scored in the third period, Thomas Greiss made 28 saves and the New York Islanders beat the league-leading Washington Capitals 3-2 on Tuesday night.

Strome got his first goal since Dec. 31 to put New York up 2-1 6:31 into the period. Anthony Beauvillier stole the puck behind the Capitals net and passed it to Brock Nelson. The Islanders forward sent a quick pass to Strome, and he tapped it past goalie Philipp Grubauer.

Boychuk scored into an empty net with 1:08 left, and Alan Quine also scored for New York. The Islanders are 5-0-1 under interim coach Doug Weight since firing longtime boss Jack Capuano.

Greiss signed a three-year contract extension with the Islanders on Monday night.

Alex Ovechkin scored his 24th goal of the season with 47 seconds left, and Evgeny Kuznetsov also had a goal for Washington. Grubauer made 26 saves.

The Islanders have points in seven straight games and have pulled themselves out of the cellar and into the Eastern Conference playoff chase. They entered Tuesday trailing Philadelphia by five points for the final wild card and have played fewer games than most of the conference.

The Capitals jumped to a lead early in the first period when Kuznetsov scored his 10th goal of the season. Kuznetsov received a pass from Justin Williams and was able to snap a wrist shot from in front of the net.

Kuznetsov has five goals in his last six games, including his first multigoal game of the season on Jan. 26 against New Jersey.

The Islanders tied it at 1 less than five minutes into the second period on the power play. Andrew Ladd fired a shot that ricocheted off the crossbar and went right to Quine, who put the puck right back in the net.

NOTES: This meeting in Brooklyn was the fifth and final time the Islanders and Capitals face each other this season. ... Greiss is 15-7-3 in 26 games this season, with a .928 save percentage and 2.24 goals against average. ... John Carlson returned to the Capitals lineup for the first time since Jan. 15. The defenseman has been out with a lower-body injury. ... D Thomas Hickey and F Cal Clutterbuck were both scratches for the Islanders due to lower-body injuries. Forward Stephen Gionta was a healthy scratch. ... Ds Taylor Chorney and Christian Djoos and F Chandler Stephenson were healthy scratches for the Capitals. Stephenson and Djoos were both called up from AHL Hershey on Monday.

UP NEXT

Islanders: Travel to Detroit for a game Friday night.

Capitals: Return home to Verizon Center to host Boston on Wednesday night.

CAPITALS-ISLANDERS SUMS

First Period-1, Washington, Kuznetsov 10 (Williams, Orpik), 4:41. Penalties-Eller, WSH, (tripping), 13:02.
Second Period-2, N.Y. Islanders, Quine 5 (Ladd, De haan), 2:41 (pp). Penalties-Niskanen, WSH, (interference), 0:56; Beauvillier, NYI, (hooking), 4:33.
Third Period-3, N.Y. Islanders, Strome 7 (Beauvillier, Nelson), 6:31. 4, N.Y. Islanders, Boychuk 6 (Cizikas, Tavares), 18:52. 5, Washington, Ovechkin 24 (Kuznetsov, Backstrom), 19:13. Penalties-None.
Shots on Goal-Washington 9-5-16-30. N.Y. Islanders 11-11-7-29.
Power-play opportunities-Washington 0 of 1; N.Y. Islanders 1 of 2.
Goalies-Washington, Grubauer 9-3-2 (28 shots-26 saves). N.Y. Islanders, Greiss 15-7-3 (30-28).
A-11,240 (15,813). T-2:21.

Referees-Steve Kozari, Ian Walsh. Linesmen-Shandor Alphonso, Scott Driscoll.