Eller's two goals help Capitals edge Islanders
WASHINGTON -- Lars Eller had two goals, including the game-winner with 3:21 left, and added an assist as the Washington Capitals defeated the New York Islanders 4-3 on Thursday night.
Minutes after Washington killed off a New York power play, Eller took a feed from Tom Wilson and came down the left side. He fired high from the left circle and beat Islanders goalie Jaroslav Halak on the short side to snap a 3-3 tie.
The Islanders trailed 3-2 after two periods, but Anders Lee tied it at the 7:00 mark when he got hit by a Thomas Hickey shot and fired the loose puck past goalie Braden Holtby for his second goal of the night to go along with an assist.
Taylor Chorney and Alex Chiasson also scored for Washington (6-6-1). Chandler Stephenson had the first two assists of his career two assists for Washington, and John Carlson also picked up two assists.
Holtby stopped 35 shots.
John Tavares added a goal and an assist for the Islanders, who lost for the second time in seven games. Tavares has 10 goals in his last six games. Halak stopped 15 shots for New York (7-5-1).
Islanders winger Josh Bailey extended his point streak to a career-high eight games with two assists.
The Islanders appeared to have an excellent scoring chance when they entered the Capitals zone four-on-two early in the first period. However, they turned the puck over and Washington came back three-on-one.
Stephenson fanned on the shot but controlled the puck and fed Chorney at the point. Chorney's low shot evaded a bunch of skates and found its way through Halak's pads at 5:55.
It was Chorney's first goal of the season and the first time in eight games that the Capitals scored first.
New York pulled even six seconds into a power play, at 13:01 of the first period. Tavares' redirect was stopped by Holtby, but Tavares was able to poke the loose puck home for his 12th goal.
The Capitals regained the lead when Eller's one-timer from the slot went between Halak's legs at 16:19 of the first.
The score remained 2-1 until the Islanders picked up their second power-play goal late in the second period. Lee finished off a pretty passing sequence with a one-timer from the slot.
The tie was short-lived.
Just 12 seconds later, Chiasson scored his first of the season when his blast from the left circle beat Halak to the far side.
NOTES: Capitals C Lars Eller picked up his 100th career assist. ... Islanders C John Tavares played his 600th NHL game. ... Tavares left the game briefly in the first period when he was hit in the head by Devante Smith-Pelly's stick on a follow-through. ... Washington F Brett Connolly (concussion protocol) missed his third consecutive game. F Tyler Graovac (upper body injury) missed his sixth. ... The Capitals recalled F Liam O'Brien from Hershey of the American Hockey League and re-assigned F Anthony Peluso to the Bears.