Isles pour it on in 6-1 romp over Blueshirts

Josh Bailey scored twice, Anthony Beauvillier notched a goal and three assists, and the Islanders beat the Rangers, 6-1, Tuesday night at Nassau Coliseum.

Jordan Eberle and Jean-Gabriel Pageau each recorded a goal and an assist, and Brock Nelson also scored. Semyon Varlamov stopped 25 shots to help the Islanders win their second straight and seventh in the last 10 to pull into a tie with Washington atop the East Division ahead of a stretch of three straight games against the Capitals.

Kevin Rooney scored for the Rangers, who had won four straight — all against the Devils — and lost in regulation for just the second time in 12 games (8-2-2). Igor Shesterkin finished with 22 saves to fall to 0-3-1 in four career starts against the Islanders.

The Islanders took a 3-1 lead into the third and scored three times in a 3:38 span midway through the period to put the game away.

Pageau fired a one-timer into the top right corner off a pass from Beauvillier for his 13th of the season at 7:44 to give the Islanders a threegoal lead.

Beauvillier then set up Bailey for a one timer

ISLANDERS RANGERS 6 1

from nearly the same spot with 9:44 left. It was Bailey’s second of the game and eighth of the season.

After a Rangers turnover, Travis Zajac brought the puck up the left side on a 2-on-1 and passed it to Eberle, who beat Shesterkin for his 15th to make it 6-1 just 1:06 later.

The Islanders, who scored just two goals while losing two of three on their road trip, improved to 19-2-2 at home this season. The Rangers, 4-02 in their last six on the road, were 9-1-2 in their last 12 games at the Nassau Coliseum.

PENGUINS 7, DEVILS 6

Jeff Carter picked up his first goal in Pittsburgh as part of a first-period deluge and the Penguins held on for a 7-6 victory over the Devils on Tuesday night.

Pittsburgh led 6-0 entering the third before the Devils put together a furious rally. Andreas Johnsson pulled the Devils within one with 41 seconds remaining but the Devils couldn’t generate another shot with the goaltender pulled.

Carter, acquired from Los Angeles at last week’s trade deadline to give the Penguins depth, speed and a dash of grit as the playoffs loom, beat Scott Wedgewood with a blast from between the circles that finished off a four-goal opening period.

Bryan Rust, Mike Matheson and Brian Dumoulin also scored in the first for Pittsburgh.