Barzal has 3 goals as Isles beat Capitals

UNIONDALE, N.Y. — Mathew Barzal had three goals and two assists, Jordan Eberle scored twice, and the New York Islanders beat the Washington Capitals 8-4 Thursday night.

Brock Nelson, Casey Cizikas and Josh Bailey also scored to help the Islanders improve to 14-1-2 at home and move back into a tie with Washington and Pittsburgh atop the East Division with 50 points. The Capitals have a game in hand on both the Islanders and Penguins.

Semyon Varlamov made 22 saves for New York, improving to 8-3-1 in his last 12 decisions while allowing only 30 goals over that span. Varalmov is 15-7-3 overall this season.

John Carlson had two goals, and T.J. Oshie and Daniel Sprong also scored for the Capitals.

The game featured a chaotic first period, beginning during the initial minute when Washington’s starting goaltender Ilya Samsonov had to leave the ice just 30 seconds in after Oshie collided with him behind the net. Oshie’s shoulder made contact with Samsonov’s head, and the goalie skated off for precautionary reasons. Vitek Vanacek temporarily took over in the crease.

Carlson quickly opened the scoring at 1:01, blasting Washington’s first shot past Varlamov with assists credited to Tom Wilson and Conor Sheary.

Eberle tied it at 5:02, taking a cross-ice pass from Leo Komarov and rifling the puck past Vanacek.

The fleet Barzal then put the Islanders ahead 2-1 with a spectacular end-to-end rush, skating through the entire Capitals on-ice quintet and finishing off the solo effort at 16:09 with a high shot past Vanacek while somehow balancing on his right skate blade.

Samsonov returned with just over three minutes remaining in the period, just before Nelson scored his 13th goal at 17:32 to make it 3-1.

RANGERS 3, SABRES 2

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Mika Zibanejad one-timed in Artemi Panarin’s pass 4:32 into overtime, and the New York Rangers overcame giving up a late goal in a win over the Buffalo Sabres.

Filip Chytil and Colin Blackwell also scored and Igor Shesterkin stopped 21 shots in a game New York persevered after Buffalo’s Tage Thompson forced overtime by scoring with 4 seconds left.

The Rangers won for the fifth time in seven outings, and improved to 7-3-1 in their past 11 since ending a threegame skid. New York moved into a tie for fifth place in the East Division with the slumping Philadelphia Flyers, who are off until Saturday, and coming off a 6-1 loss at Buffalo on Wednesday night.

The Sabres’ win over Philadelphia snapped an 0-15-3 skid that ranked as the NHL’s 14th-longest winless streak.

PENGUINS 4, BRUINS 1

BOSTON — Mike Matheson scored a highlight-reel goal after a lengthy rush, and the surging Pittsburgh Penguins ended a long winless drought in Boston with a victory over the Bruins.

Zach Aston-Reese, Jason Zucker and Jake Guentzel also scored for the Penguins, who won their fifth straight game and improved to 11-2-1 in their last 14. Casey DeSmith stopped 30 shots.

It was Pittsburgh’s first win in Boston since Evgeni Malkin scored 32 seconds into overtime to lift them past the Bruins on Nov. 24, 2014, ending a span of 10 games (0-8-2).

“I think I was actually at that game when I was in college. My dad got me tickets,” said Aston-Reese, who attended nearby Northeastern.