Islanders 2, Hurricanes 1 (SO)
NEW YORK -- Kyle Okposo scored the only goal of the shootout on Tuesday night as the New York Islanders helped their position in the Eastern Conference playoff race with a come-from-behind 2-1 win over the Carolina Hurricanes at Barclays Center.
With their second overtime or shootout victory over the Hurricanes in as many games, the Islanders (41-25-9) moved four points ahead of the idle Philadelphia Flyers in the race for the Eastern Conference's first wild card and ensured they'd stay at least two points ahead of the Detroit Red Wings, who began the day in ninth place.
Anders Lee scored on a power play with 7:52 left in the third period for the Islanders, who have won three of four (3-1-0) after a 1-4-2 skid.
Goalie Thomas Greiss made 26 saves in regulation and overtime before turning back all three shots he faced in the shootout.
Center Derek Ryan scored for the Hurricanes (33-28-16), whose flickering playoff hopes dimmed with their seventh loss in nine games (2-2-5).
Carolina goalie Cam Ward had 30 saves in regulation and overtime.
The Islanders dominated the third period before Lee's equalizer. Nick Leddy was just wide of the net on a breakaway seconds before Ward turned back a shot by Josh Bailey.
By the time Lee redirected a shot by John Tavares to tie the score, the Islanders had outshot the Hurricanes 9-1 in the period.
Ryan's second NHL goal provided the lone highlight of a meandering first 40 minutes in which the two teams combined for just 35 shots.
The 29-year-old helped set up the goal by pestering Bailey along the left boards. Bailey briefly shook Ryan and controlled the puck, but his pass intended for Calvin de Haan ticked off the stick of Nathan Gerbe. Ryan, pursuing the play, picked up the loose puck, eluded Bailey and fired a shot through de Haan and under the glove of Greiss.
NOTES: The Islanders scratched C Mikhail Grabovski (concussion), G Jaroslav Halak (lower-body injury), D Marek Zidlicky (upper body), RW Steve Bernier, LW Eric Boulton and D Ryan Pulock. ... Islanders C Frans Nielsen drew the start in his 600th career game. Nielsen, a career-long Islander, is the 13th player in franchise history to play at least 600 games. ... The Islanders signed C Kyle Schempp, their sixth-round selection in the 2014 draft, to a two-year, entry-level contract. Schempp played three seasons at Ferris State University. ... The Hurricanes scratched LW Philip Di Giuseppe (upper body), C Riley Nash (upper body), C Andrej Nestrasil (fractured vertebra) and D Ryan Murphy. ... The Hurricanes recalled C Derek Ryan from Charlotte of the AHL.