Mathew Barzal had a goal and two assists Thursday night and the New York Islanders never trailed as they ended the Colorado Avalanche’s 17-game point streak with a 6-3 win in Elmont, N.Y.
The regulation loss was just the second of the season for the Avalanche, who went 14-0-3 following a 3-2 loss to the Boston Bruins on Oct. 25.
Kyle MacLean, Anders Lee, Bo Horvat and Adam Pelech helped the Islanders build a 4-0 lead before the midpoint of the game. The 4-0 deficit was the biggest of the season for Colorado.
Valeri Nichushkin and Martin Necas scored in the second for the Avalanche before Barzal collected his goal late in the period. Artturi Lehkonen brought Colorado within 5-3 early in the third but Casey Cizikas added an empty-netter with 1:15 left.
Ilya Sorokin made 35 saves for the Islanders, who finished 3-3-1 on a seven-game homestand by winning the final two contests.
Mackenzie Blackwood, starting in place of the injured Scott Wedgewood, recorded 36 saves for the Avalanche.
MacLean opened the scoring 5:56 into the first following a flurry in the Avalanche crease. The Islanders had several chances against Blackwood before the puck glanced off Devon Toews’ stick and to MacLean, who scored from the goal line.
Barzal set up the second goal with 1:40 left when he dished across the ice to Lee, who fired a shot from the right faceoff circle over Blackwood’s glove shoulder.
The Islanders scored twice in 61 seconds early in the middle period. Horvat put back the rebound of a shot by Matthew Schaefer at the 6:58 mark before Pelech collected his first goal of the season when his shot from the left faceoff circle glanced off Blackwood and trickled behind him.
The Avalanche began their comeback bid by scoring twice in the next 2:05. Nichushkin, who was screening Sorokin, redirected Sam Malinski’s shot at the 8:39 mark. Necas was credited with a goal 1:25 later when his pass across the crease intended for Nathan MacKinnon glanced off Islanders defenseman Travis Mitchell and into the net.
Barzal gave the Islanders a three-goal lead again by scoring on the power play with 1:14 remaining. Lehkonen scored on an angled shot from the goal line 1:27 into the third.
