Islanders 3, Senators 1
NEW YORK -- John Tavares, Matt Martin and Brock Nelson all scored in the second period Wednesday night as the New York Islanders stopped a four-game losing streak and regained some momentum in the Eastern Conference playoff race with a 3-1 win over the Ottawa Senators at Barclays Center.
The three second-period goals matched the number of goals scored by the Islanders in their previous 10 periods.
With just their second win in the last eight games, the wild card-leading Islanders (39-24-9) moved four points ahead of the Philadelphia Flyers and Detroit Red Wings, who are tied for the final wild card. New York also moved within one point of the idle Pittsburgh Penguins for third place in the Metropolitan Division.
Isles goalie Jean-Francois Berube made 22 saves while the Senators' Andrew Hammond made 20 saves.
Mark Stone scored in the third period for the Senators (34-33-8), who lost for the second time in as many nights and fell to 3-5-1 in their last nine games. Ottawa is seven points behind the Flyers and Red Wings, but has fewer games remaining (seven) than any Eastern Conference contender.
The Islanders snapped out of their extended offensive funk by scoring three goals in a span of 10 minutes in the second period, including two in 21 seconds.
Tavares won a faceoff to set up his goal. Josh Bailey's shot rebounded to Tavares, who tucked it into the left corner of the net at the 5:24 mark for his first goal in six games.
The Islanders lengthened the lead twice in rapid fashion. First, Martin redirected a shot by Travis Hamonic with 5:32 remaining in the period.
That goal had not even been announced yet when ex-Senators left winger Shane Prince won a battle for a loose puck behind the Islanders net with former teammate Cody Ceci. The puck bounced to Nelson, who fired a shot past Ryan Dzingel and just past Hammond's outstretched glove.
NOTES: A moment of silence was held prior to the game for the victims of Tuesday's terrorist attacks in Brussels. ... The Islanders scratched C Mikhail Grabovski (undisclosed), G Jaroslav Halak (lower body) and D Marek Zidlicky (upper body) as well as RW Steve Bernier, LW Eric Boulton and D Brian Strait. ... The Islanders signed G Eamon McAdam to a three-year entry-level contract on Wednesday. McAdam was selected by the Islanders in the third round of the 2012 draft and just completed a three-year career at Penn State. ... The Senators scratched D Mark Borowiecki (knee), RW Chris Neil (flu), D Dion Phaneuf (lower body), C Kyle Turris (ankle) and D Patrick Wiercioch (upper body). ... To replace Phaneuf, who did not travel to New York after being injured Tuesday against the Washington Capitals, the Senators recalled D Fredrik Claesson from Binghamton of the AHL.