Isles upend league-leading Capitals
NEW YORK -- Ryan Strome scored the tiebreaking goal 6:31 into the third period Tuesday night as the New York Islanders remained red hot by beating the Washington Capitals 3-2 at Barclays Center.
Anthony Beauvillier set up the go-ahead goal by swiping the puck from Capitals center Jay Beagle behind the Washington net. Beauvillier passed to Brock Nelson, who dished across the goalmouth to Strome, who tucked a shot between the legs of goalie Philipp Grubauer.
Alan Quine scored in the second period and Johnny Boychuk added an empty-netter with 1:08 left for the Islanders, who won their third straight and finished 5-0-1 on a season-high, six-game homestand.
Goalie Thomas Greiss, making his first start since signing a three-year extension worth a reported $10 million on Monday, made 28 saves for New York (22-17-9).
Evgeny Kuznetsov scored in the first period while Alex Ovechkin added a goal with 46.5 seconds left in the third for the NHL-leading Capitals, who lost for just the third time in 16 games (13-2-1). Grubauer recorded 26 saves for Washington (33-11-6).
The game was the first for the Islanders since multiple media outlets reported Monday that Barclays Center may opt out of its agreement with the team prior to the 2018-19 season. The Islanders played their first 42 seasons on Long Island at Nassau Coliseum, which is undergoing renovations and will reopen in April, when it will be operated by the same management group that operates Barclays Center.
Kuznetsov capped an end-to-end rush by the Capitals to give Washington the lead just 4:41 into the first. Brooks Orpik sent a clearing pass to Justin Williams, whose pass hit Kuznetsov in stride near the Islanders' blue line. Kuznetsov then split Islanders defensemen Scott Mayfield and Adam Pelech before firing a shot under Greiss' stick.
Quine won a faceoff deep in the Islanders' zone to set up the tying power-play goal 2:41 into the second. The puck bounced to Andrew Ladd, who traded the puck with Calvin De Haan before firing a shot toward the net, where Grubauer was screened by New York center Brock Nelson and Capitals defenseman Nate Schmidt.
Grubauer deflected the shot but didn't see where the puck landed. Quine swooped in to the left of Grubauer and poked home the rebound into the empty corner of the net.
NOTES: The Islanders scratched RW Cal Clutterbuck (lower body) and D Thomas Hickey (lower body) as well as RW Stephen Gionta. Hickey missed his second straight game while Clutterbuck sat with an injury he suffered against the Montreal Canadiens last Thursday. ... The Islanders played their 29th home game of the season on Tuesday. Only the Chicago Blackhawks have played as many games at home. ... The Capitals scratched D Taylor Chorney, D Christian Djoos and C Chandler Stephenson. Djoos and Stephenson were recalled Monday from AHL Hershey. ... Capitals D John Carlson returned to action after missing the previous six games with a lower-body injury.