Islanders 5, Hurricanes 2
All-Star John Tavares scored two goals and set up two others while Matt Moulson had a goal and a pair of assists as the New York Islanders skated to a 5-2 victory over the host Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday.
P.A. Parenteau and Kyle Okposo each registered a goal and an assist, defenseman Mark Streit notched two assists and Kevin Poulin made 21 saves en route to his first NHL win for New York, which improved to 4-1-1 in its last six games.
Only 41 seconds after Carolina's Tim Brent knotted the contest at 2-2, Tavares gave the Islanders the lead for good.
After Cam Ward misplayed the puck to the right of the net, Moulson gained control in the left corner and passed to Tavares, who buried a shot from the right faceoff circle for his 21st goal of the season.
Okposo and Tavares added empty-net goals as New York posted its seventh consecutive win against Southeast Division opponents.
Parenteau scored less than five minutes into the game and Moulson tallied late in the second period to give New York a 2-0 lead.
But Carolina rallied to tie the contest as Brandon Sutter put a backhander past Poulin at 3:15 of the third and Brent banked a backhander off a defenseman's skate and into the net less than four minutes later.
Ward stopped 21 shots for the Hurricanes, who had their three-game home winning streak snapped and lost in regulation for the first time in five contests (2-1-2).