Anders Lee scored a power-play goal with 12:37 remaining in the second period and added an assist a little more than two minutes later as the New York Islanders avoided another collapse in the third period and earned a 3-0 victory over the visiting Buffalo Sabres on Saturday night in Elmont, N.Y.
Simon Holmstrom had his second career multi-goal game and second in as many games. He scored New York’s second goal and added an empty-netter in the final seconds.
The Islanders won for the third time in their past 11 games (3-4-4) and avoided an eighth loss when leading into the final 20 minutes. They squandered a 4-2 lead in Friday’s 5-4 overtime loss at Washington.
Lee had his second straight multi-point showing as the Islanders struggled to generate scoring chances at times and had a goal by Matt Martin disallowed due to an offsides call in the first period.
New York goalie Ilya Sorokin made 29 saves for his 19th career shutout. He highlighted New York’s first shutout of the season by doing a split in the crease to make a sprawling save on Dylan Cozens during Buffalo’s short-handed 2-on-1 rush with 18:49 remaining, then made four more stops when the Sabres had the extra attacker in the final minute.
Buffalo lost to the Islanders for the second time this season and dropped a third straight contest for the third time this season.
Buffalo goalie James Reimer made 17 saves in his second start since joining the Sabres.
Twenty seconds into their first power play, the Islanders ended an 0-for-14 skid thanks to Lee getting in good position in front. He went to the net, jostled Buffalo defenseman Owen Power off the puck, got a pass from Kyle Palmieri and used his backhand to redirect the puck by Reimer.
The Islanders took a 2-0 lead a little over two minutes later by finishing off a 2-on-1 following a Buffalo offensive zone turnover.
Defenseman Henri Jokiharju lost the puck at the blue line and Lee sped down the left side and found Holmstrom racing through the slot. Holmstrom finished the sequence by sending a shot that knuckled over a sprawled-out Reimer.
–Field Level Media