BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) - Ilya Sorokin stopped 20 shots to earn his first NHL win, and the New York Islanders defeated the Sabres 3-0 to complete a two-game sweep of Buffalo on Tuesday night.
Jean-Gabriel Pageau and captain Anders Lee scored in a 7:15 span in the first period, and the Islanders improved to 5-0-3 in their past eight - the team’s longest streak since a 15-0-2 franchise-record run in the opening two months of the 2019-20 season. Lee added an empty-net goal in the final second, and Pageau extended his scoring streak to four games, in which he has five goals.
The 25-year-old Sorokin improved to 1-2-1 in making his first start since a 25-save outing in a 4-3 overtime loss at Philadelphia on Jan. 31.
The Sabres dropped to 1-3-1 in their past five and lost three in a row, with goalie Carter Hutton stopping 21 shots.
CAPITALS 3, PENGUINS 1
PITTSBURGH (AP) - Conor Sheary and Jakub Vrana scored in the second period, and Washington stopped a four-game slide by topping Pittsburgh.
Lars Eller also scored for Washington, and Vitek Vanecek stopped 26 shots in his 11th straight start.
Pittsburgh won its first five games at home, including three against the Capitals. Zach Aston-Reese set a career high with his third goal in as many games, and Tristan Jarry made 39 saves for the Penguins.
DEVILS 5, RANGERS 2
NEW YORK (AP) - Yegor Sharangovich and Nicholas Merkley scored in the third period and New Jersey sent the Rangers to their fourth straight loss.
Pavel Zacha, Will Butcher and Mikhail Maltsev also scored for New Jersey, which returned to action for the first time since Jan. 31 after a pause due to a COVID-19 outbreak. Mackenzie Blackwood made 37 saves and Janne Kuokkanen added three assists in the win.
Colin Blackwell and Pavel Buchnevich scored for the Rangers. Igor Shesterkin recorded 32 saves in his third straight loss.
AVALANCHE 3, GOLDEN KNIGHTS 2
LAS VEGAS (AP) - Nazem Kadri scored with 41 seconds remaining in the third period, lifting Colorado to a win over Vegas.
Moments after Marc-Andre Fleury stopped Mikko Rantanen’s backhand with 45.3 seconds left, the Avalanche got the better end of a faceoff from the right circle, eventually setting up Kadri, who was able to lift a loose puck into the net for his second game-winner of the season.
Nathan MacKinnon and Brandon Saad also scored for the Avalanche. Philip Grubauer stopped 27 shots.
Max Pacioretty and Jonathan Marchessault scored for the Golden Knights. Fleury made 22 saves.
KINGS 4, WILD 0
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Jaret Anderson-Dolan had a goal and an assist, Jonathan Quick made 28 saves and Los Angeles defeated Minnesota.
It was Minnesota’s first game since Feb. 2 due to a COVID-19 outbreak.
Trevor Moore, Dustin Brown and Drew Doughty also scored for the Kings, who have earned at least one point in four of five games against the Wild this season.
Kaapo Kahkonen made 25 saves for Minnesota.
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