NHL Update: New York Islanders defeat Ottawa Senators, 4-3
Frans Nielsen lit the lamp in the second round of the shootout to lift New York Islanders to a 4-3 victory over Ottawa Senators, at Scotiabank Place on Tuesday night.
Michael Grabner scored a goal and picked up an assist for New York, which has won a season-high four straight games. Josh Bailey and Blake Comeau each also netted a goal in the win.
Nathan Lawson, making his fifth career start, turned away 28 shots for his first NHL win.
Bobby Butler notched a goal and earned an assist for Ottawa, which is 2-12-4 since the calendar flipped to 2011. Ryan Shannon and Erik Karlsson both also found the net, while Brian Elliott stopped 25-of-28 shots in the loss.
"We lost out on the chance to get the extra point, but we showed a lot with coming back in the third," said Butler.
Ottawa got on the board first for 1-0 lead on a power-play with two minutes remaining in the opening stanza. The goal came when a right face-off draw led to a Jason Spezza’s shot. Butler deflected the shot to the net but it was stopped. He then grabbed his
own rebound and knocked it home.
Islanders knotted the game at 1-1 nearly eight minutes into the middle stanza. With a Senators’ player down on the ice due to injury, New York set up the play in the Ottawa zone. Ty Wishart chipped a cross-ice pass to Comeau, who hammered a wrist shot past
Elliott.
Senators gained one-goal edge, 2-1, again with seven minutes left in the second period, as Shannon blasted a slap shot from the top of the slot into the net.
Grabner pulled Islanders even at 2-2 with a short-handed goal in the third minute of the final session. Grabner notched the puck at centre ice and skated in on a breakaway. Elliott stopped the initial shot but his momentum brought him out of the net. Grabner
regained the puck behind the net and converted an easy wrap around.
Ottawa almost registered a goal just few moments later, but the puck was tucked in with a high stick.
Islanders took their first lead 3-2 in the seventh minute of third period. The play was set up by Grabner, who grabbed the puck behind the net and threw a backhand pass to the slot. Bailey was wide open and let go a snap shot into the net.
"We like our positive attitude. Recently, we've been able to come back from third-period deficits, and that only makes us stronger and builds our confidence," said Bailey.
Senators tied the game at 3-3 with nearly four minutes left in the final stanza, as Karlsson rifled a slap shot from the top of the right circle past Lawson.
Elliott turned away three shots in extra session, while Lawson made only one save.
After each team scored in the first round of the shootout, Senators Spezza’s shot was blocked by Lawson. Nielsen then capped the scoring at 4-3 when he slipped the puck through Elliott’s pads. Butler got an opportunity to keep the shootout going, but Lawson
stopped his shot to secure the win.
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