Islanders 4, Flames 0
NEW YORK -- Goalie Jaroslav Halak recorded 29 saves in his second shutout of the season, and the New York Islanders remained red hot Monday night with a 4-0 win over the Calgary Flames at Barclays Center.
Center Mikhail Grabovski scored in the second period, and center Frans Nielsen, right winger Cal Clutterbuck and right winger Kyle Okposo scored in the third for the Islanders (6-2-1), who won their second straight and improved to 6-1-0 in their past seven.
The Flames (2-7-0) lost for the second time in as many nights in New York. Calgary fell to the New York Rangers 4-1 at Madison Square Garden on Sunday.
Calgary goalie Joni Ortio made 31 saves in his first start of the season.
The teams played 34 largely nondescript minutes before Grabovski's power-play goal with 5:59 left in the second infused some energy into an otherwise listless announced crowd of 11,582.
Center Josh Bailey's pass from along the left boards hit an open Grabovski in the crease before Grabovski corralled the puck and fired a shot under Ortio's right armpit.
Nielsen doubled the lead 5:26 into the third period. After taking a pass from Okposo near center ice, Nielsen skated with the puck at his left until Flames defenseman Kris Russell lined up in front of him, at which point Nielsen then fired a shot that clanged off the top post and past the shielded Ortio.
The Flames had their best chance to score during a flurry that ended with left winger Johnny Gaudreau's shot bouncing off Halak's pads with 12:25 left.
An impressive effort from center Casey Cizikas helped set up Clutterbuck's insurance goal. Cizikas was draped along the boards by Russell when he freed himself and passed to Clutterbuck, whose shot sailed between the extended sticks of Flames right winger Josh Jooris and center Mikael Backlund and past Ortio with 8:27 left.
Okposo scored with 1:50 to go, when left winger Nikolay Kulemin picked up the rebound of Okposo's initial shot and passed it back to the right winger.
NOTES: Islanders D Thomas Hickey, who sustained a lower-body injury Saturday in a win over the St. Louis Blues, is expected to miss a month after being placed on injured reserve Monday morning. The team did not immediately make a corresponding roster move. ... The Islanders scratched RW Steve Bernier and G Jean-Francois Berube. ... C Ryan Strome started for the Islanders after being a healthy scratch Saturday. ... The Flames scratched D Jakub Nakladal and LW Mason Raymond. ... With G Joni Ortio making his first start, the Flames became the fourth team to start three goalies this season, joining the Islanders, Buffalo Sabres and Ottawa Senators.