Anders Lee scored two power play goals while J.F. Berube made 34 saves to lead the New York Islanders to a 4-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings at Barclays Center.
The Isles won their third straight game and are now 2-0-0 under interim coach Doug Weight.
The Islanders held a 2-0 lead after two periods but quick goals by Jeff Carter and Drew Doughty early in the third period tied things up at 2-2.
Instead of panicking, the Islanders regrouped and cashed in on their power play chance when Lee deflected a Nick Leddy shot past Peter Budaj for the game winner. The Islanders actually played their best hockey of the night after the Kings scored the tying goal, outshooting the Kings 18-7 over the rest of the game.
First Period
The Kings came out skating and had the first four shots on goal in the game. However, they lost the momentum when Jason Chimera’s shot from the circle was misplayed by Peter Budaj and went in off his mask at 2:30 to give the Islanders the early 1-0 lead.
The Kings had the better of the play for most of the first period but Berube made 14 saves to keep the visitors off the board. The Isles led 1-0 after 20 minutes.
Second Period
The Islanders added to their lead when Anders Lee scored a power-play goal at 7:09. Lee stationed himself in front of Budaj and put home the rebound of a John Tavares shot.
The Islanders had the better of play in the second period. They did a better job of slowing the Kings down before they entered the attack zone.
Berube continued to play with confidence as the Islanders finished their eighth straight period without allowing a goal.
Third Period
The Kings got right back into the game on a power play goal by Jeff Carter. His backhander beat Berube through the five-hole just 37 seconds into the period and the Isles lead was cut to 2-1.
Drew Doughty tied the game a few minutes later on a shot from the point that got past Berube. There was plenty of traffic in front to set a screen on the play.
Anders Lee got the Islanders the lead back at 9:31 on a power play goal, his second tally of the game.
The Islanders finished strong and only allowed a few quality chances down the stretch. Berube was able to snuff out the Kings final push and the Islanders held on for the victory. An empty-net goal by John Tavares provided the final margin of victory for the Islanders.
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Scoring Summary
First Period
NYI – Jason Chimera (9) assisted by Stephen Gionta
Second Period
NYI – Anders Lee (16) PPG assisted by John Tavares and Nick Leddy
Third Period
LAK – Jeff Carter (24) PPG assisted by Drew Doughty and Anze Kopitar
LAK – Drew Doughty (8) assisted by Andy Andreoff and Trevor Lewis
NYI – Anders Lee (17) PPG assisted by Nick Leddy and Josh Bailey
NYI – John Tavares (19) PPG/EN assisted by Nikolay Kulemin and Thomas Hickey
THW Three Stars
First: Anders Lee (GWG, 2 goals)
Second: J.F. Berube (34 saves)
Third: Drew Doughty (goal, assist)
Next Up
Philadelphia Flyers vs New York Islanders
Barclays Center – 6:00 PM EST Sunday Jan. 22, 2017
Broadcast Channels: MSG-plus, CSN-Philadelphia
2016-17 Season Series: Nov 3, 2016, Flyers 3, Islanders 2 (SO)
Los Angeles Kings vs New York Rangers
Madison Square Garden – 7:00 PM EST Monday Jan. 23, 2017
Broadcast Channels: MSG and Fox Sports-West
2016-17 Season Series: First Matchup of the Seaosn