Islanders 6, Stars 5
NEW YORK -- Right wingers Kyle Okposo and Cal Clutterbuck scored two goals apiece Sunday night as the New York Islanders rode a three-goal second period to a 6-5 win over the league-leading Dallas Stars at Barclays Center.
Centers Anders Lee and Mikhail Grabovski also scored for the Islanders (22-13-5), who began a two-game homestand in which they'll host the top two teams in the NHL. The Eastern Conference-leading Washington Capitals visit on Thursday.
Goalie Thomas Greiss made 36 saves.
Left wingers Vernon Fiddler and Patrick Sharp scored in the first period while right winger Valeri Nichushkin scored twice in the third for the Stars (28-9-4), who suffered back-to-back losses for the first time this season but remained first in the NHL with 60 points.
Nichushkin scored 1:46 into the third to pull the Stars within 5-3, but Clutterbuck scored at 9:53 to extend the lead. Nichushkin made it a two-goal game again just 26 seconds later. Center Jason Spezza scored with 1:42 remaining but the Stars could not collect the tying goal.
Goalie Kari Lehtonen recorded 38 saves for the Stars.
Okposo was credited with the go-ahead goal 8:13 into the second, when his put-back of a shot by Lee bounced off the stick of Stars defenseman Alex Goligoski, who was standing in front of the left post, and into the net.
Grabovski extended the lead to 5-3 at 15:02 of the second. He took center Ryan Strome's perfect pass across the goalmouth and put it into the open right corner of the net.
Clutterbuck wriggled free from Fiddler and fired a shot under Lehtonen's left shoulder just 2:41 later. Clutterbuck was injured earlier in the period, when he was leveled into the boards by Stars defenseman Jason Demers, who received a five-minute boarding and a game misconduct.
The Stars struck first in a high-scoring first period at 5:55. Center Radek Faksa was draped behind the Islanders net by defenseman Nick Leddy but managed to poke a one-handed shot at Greiss. The puck caromed to Faksa, who tucked it under Greiss' glove.
The Islanders tied the score with a power-play goal a little less than five minutes later. Nineteen seconds after center Cody Eakin was whistled for high-sticking, Lee -- stationed to the left of the net -- took a pass from Okposo and deked a couple of times before maneuvering the puck past Lehtonen.
Sharp was credited with the go-ahead goal with 6:30 left in the first. A ferocious slap shot from the blue line by Goligoski ticked off the stick of Sharp, who was surrounded by Leddy and defenseman Travis Hamonic.
An impressive effort by Okposo tied the game with 1:42 remaining before the first intermission. A shot by center Frans Nielsen was deflected by Lehtonen, but a diving Okposo managed to get his stick on the puck and put it back for his first goal since Dec. 12.
NOTES: The Islanders scratched RW Steve Bernier, LW Eric Boulton and D Brian Strait. RW Cal Clutterbuck played after sustaining an upper-body injury Saturday against the Pittsburgh Penguins. ... Islanders G Jaroslav Halak (upper body) remained on injured reserve but skated Sunday morning. Head coach Jack Capuano said the team will know more Tuesday regarding a timetable for D Johnny Boychuk, who suffered a shoulder injury Thursday. ... The Stars scratched RW Patrick Eaves, D Patrik Nemeth and D Jamie Oleksiak. RW Valeri Nichushkin returned to the lineup after missing Saturday's game with an upper-body injury ... Every other NHL team has at least two losing streaks of at least two games except the Eastern Conference-leading Washington Capitals, who have lost their last two games.