Islanders 5, Coyotes 2
NEW YORK -- Center Brock Nelson, center John Tavares and right winger Steve Bernier scored in the first 12 minutes of the third period Monday as the New York Islanders beat the Arizona Coyotes 5-2 at Barclays Center.
Center Frans Nielsen scored in the first period for the Islanders (10-6-3), who have won two straight and three out of four (3-1-0). Right winger Kyle Okposo had an assist on each of New York's first three goals.
Goaltender Jaroslav Halak recorded 31 saves as he snapped a three-game losing streak and won for the second time in his last six starts (2-3-1), a span in which he's given up only 12 goals.
Center Martin Hanzal and left winger Mikkel Boedker each scored in the final 4:15 for the Coyotes (9-8-2), who fell to 0-2-0 on a four-game road trip.
Goalie Anders Lindback had 27 saves.
The Islanders led 1-0 after two before Nelson doubled the lead at the 1:23 mark of the third. Okposo, who was double-teamed by Coyotes defensemen Zbynek Michalek and Klas Dahlbeck along the boards behind the Arizona net, managed to poke the puck to Nielsen. The center went to one knee and passed to Nelson, who scored from almost the same spot as Nielsen in the first.
Tavares extended the lead to 3-0 at the 5:38 mark when he took a pass from Okposo from behind the net and beat Lindback.
A slap shot by defenseman Johnny Boychuk glanced off Bernier's stick and past Lindback with 8:10 to go.
Hanzal ended the shutout and Boedker scored after the Coyotes pulled Lindback. Tavares added an empty netter with 39 seconds left.
The Islanders, playing for the first time since Friday, pounced early on the Coyotes by collecting the first seven shots aand taking a 1-0 lead on Nielsen's power play score 4:51 into the period. Tavares picked up a loose puck after New York won a faceoff deep in the Arizona zone and passed across the goalmouth to Nielsen, who tucked the puck into the left corner of the net.
NOTES: A moment of silence was held prior to the game in honor of the victims of the terrorist attack Friday in Paris. Afterward, both the French and American national anthems were sung. ... The Islanders had a trio of healthy scratches: LW Taylor Beck, G Jean-Francois Berube and D Adam Pelech . ... Islanders D Marek Zidlicky, who was a healthy scratch Friday, was active Monday, when he played in his 800th NHL game. ... The Coyotes scratched RW Steve Downie (upper body), who missed his fourth straight game, as well as D Stefan Elliott and LW John Scott. ... The Coyotes had at least 19 points in their first 17 games for the ninth time in 19 seasons since the franchise moved from Winnipeg following the 1995-96 season.