Isles follow their Lee-der
GETTY JUST A month ago, the Islanders were mired in last place in the Eastern Conference. Their best stretch of the season now has them just a point out of a playoff spot.
Anders Lee scored two of the Isles’ three third-period goals to lead them to a 5-1 home victory over the league-worst Col- orado Avalanche on Sunday night.
The Isles won for the third time in four games and improved to 10-3-2 in the last 15 to pull one point behind Toronto and Philadelphia for the second wild-card spot in Eastern Conference. The Islanders visit the Maple Leafs on Tuesday night.
“We’ve had to come out of a hole and we’re not really quite out of there,” Islanders captain John Tavares said. “We’re still battling hard and we’ve still got a lot of work ahead of us . ... Guys are finding their rhythm and their roles and we’re feeding off one another.” Nick Leddy had a goal and two assists, Ryan Strome and Jason Chimera also scored and Tavares and Johnny Boychuk added two assists each. Jean-Francois Berube stopped 25 shots in his fifth start of the season as the Isles improved to 7-0-2 in their last nine at home.
“I was sharp, I didn’t give too many sloppy rebounds,” Berube said. “Guys were talking a lot on the ice and that helps a lot to find the puck.”
Joe Colborne scored for Colorado and Calvin Pickard finished with 28 saves.
Colorado coach Jared Bednar pointed to his team taking eight penalties and giving up five power-play chances — including a two-man advantage in the second period — as a big reason for his team’s loss. The Islanders scored twice on those chances.
“It’s just too many,” Bednar said. “That’s where they gained their traction and their momentum, on their power plays — especially the 5-on-3.”
With the Islanders ahead 2-1 after two periods, Lee put them ahead by two just 1:21 into the third as he got a pass across in front from Tavares and put it in from the right side.
“A team that’s had the year they’ve had, you kind of want to step on their throats, so to speak, when you get the opportunity,” Tavares said. “You don’t want to give them any life and we did a good job of that early in the third.”