NY Islanders Dominate Third to Defeat Avalanche 5-2, Extend Winning Streak to Five

Simon Holmstrom scored twice and added an assist, while Ilya Sorokin made 30 saves to help the New York Islanders secure a 5-2 win over the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday night. The victory marked the Islanders’ fifth consecutive win as they continued their surge in the Eastern Conference playoff race. The Islanders now trail Tampa Bay by four points for the second Wild Card spot.

Bo Horvat, Anders Lee, and Alexander Romanov also found the back of the net for New York, with Horvat’s 18th goal serving as the game-winner late in the third period. For Romanov, it was his second goal of the season and second in as many games.

Lee opened the scoring at 4:11 of the second period, netting his team-leading 22nd goal of the season on a smooth backhander through Mackenzie Blackwood’s pads. However, Colorado responded when Artturi Lehkonen capitalized on a perfect feed from Nathan MacKinnon, swatting the puck past Sorokin from his backside to tie the game.

Sorokin made 11 of 12 saves in a second period that was lopsided in the Avs' favor. “In our zone in the second, Ilya stole the period completely,” Lee said. “It gave us an opportunity, a one-one game going into the third in our building, let’s go win it.”

Holmstrom's goal at 1:54 of the third period gave the Islanders the lead. Jack Drury added a goal later in the third for the Avalanche to make it a 3-2 game, but Sorokin and the Islanders held on to the lead and then secured the win on Romanov's goal and Holmstrom's empty-netter.

"I'm taking it one game at a time," said head coach Patrick Roy said about the win and his streaking team. "I think I learned a lot from last year and how many times everyone thought we were going to miss the playoffs. It happened 10 times where I was like the season was over. No. Just play games"

After going 5-2-0 during their seven-game homestand, the Islanders will travel to Philadelphia on Thursday night to take on the Flyers.