NY Islanders return to winning ways with 5-2 road win over Los Angeles Kings

The New York Islanders needed a win, but perhaps more importantly, they needed to get back to playing the kind of hockey Pete DeBoer has been preaching since training camp.

They accomplished both Thursday night in Los Angeles.

Brayden Schenn had a goal and two assists, Victor Eklund scored for the fourth consecutive game, and the Islanders snapped a four-game winless streak with a 5-2 victory over the Kings at Crypto.com Arena.

The win improved the Isles to 8-6-4 and provided a much-needed response after going 0-2-2 over their previous four games.

"You kind of got to stop that bleeding when things aren't going right," Ryan Pulock said. "I thought we did a pretty good job top to bottom with playing to more of our identity."

Schenn opened the scoring at 5:50 of the first period, putting home a rebound after Pulock's shot from the point. Trevor Moore tied it three minutes later, but Matthew Schaefer restored the lead with a power-play goal at 12:56 in his 100th NHL game.

Eklund extended the advantage to 3-1 early in the second, finishing a feed from Schenn for his fourth goal in as many games.

Quinton Byfield pulled Los Angeles within one on a five-on-three power play, but the Islanders responded early in the third.

Simon Holmstrom scored just 39 seconds into the period, giving the Isles some breathing room before Bo Horvat added an empty-net goal.

Ilya Sorokin finished with 26 saves, while Pulock contributed two assists in his return to the lineup. Matias Maccelli also returned after missing nine games and assisted on Schaefer's goal.

Schenn now has seven points during a four-game point streak.

"As a line, we just try and keep it simple," Schenn said. "We forecheck, try and create turnovers, and try and play connected and close with one another."

For the Islanders, Thursday was a reminder of what that approach can produce.

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