PICKUP SIX: Islanders Extend Point Streak to Six Games in Win Over Buffalo

UNIONDALE, N.Y. — The New York Islanders point streak reached six games on Thursday after they defeated the Buffalo Sabres 5-2 in the first of three meetings on Long Island.

Matt Martin scored twice and Noah Dobson, Anthony Beauvillier and Jordan Eberle each scored in the win. Ilya Sorokin made 16 saves in his third NHL win and the Islanders set a new season-high in shots with 45.

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The two-goal night was Martin’s first of the year.

“When he gets in those areas, he’s lethal,” Casey Cizikas said about Martin’s scoring prowess. “He has a hell of a shot and he can pick his spot and he showed that tonight.”

Sorokin had his shutout streak snapped at 143:08, which was the third-longest by a rookie in Islanders history. Only Glenn Resch (178:29) and Al Montoya (143:17) have longer streaks.

Sorokin is now 3-2-1 in six starts this season.

The win was the New York Islanders seventh straight over Buffalo and moved them into a tie with the division-leading Washington Capitals, who also have 30 points in the standings.

“We feel we have four lines and three sets of D that can contribute,” Eberle said. “You look at minutes across the board and they’re fairly even and that’s Barry having confidence in all of us… We win by committee and each guy has a role.”

Dobson scored the Islanders’ first goal of the night 10:25 into the first period. The Islanders defenseman took a pass from Jordan Eberle and put a hard wrist shot past the blocker of Jonas Johansson for his second goal of the year.

The Islanders made it 2-0 in the closing seconds of the first off of a sharp angle shot from Martin. The Islanders fourth liner skated below the goal line and fired the puck towards the net.

The shot hit off of Johansson’s helmet, shoulder and then when into the net.

“No one really came to me,” Martin said about the goal. “Initially, I was looking to find Case or Clutter around the net, they weren’t open. I took a look at the goalie and saw that he was down… I was lucky to hit that spot.”

Buffalo cut the Islanders lead to one after Taylor Hall scored on the rebound to snap a 19-game goalless streak 3:08 into the second period. Hall’s last goal came during Buffalo’s season opener on Jan. 14.

The New York Islanders were able to recapture their two-goal lead with just over five minutes left in the second period. Josh Bailey made a good play to strip the puck off the stick of Rasmus Ristolainen at the Islanders blue line.

The puck went back to Brock Nelson, who sprung Beauvillier for a breakaway goal. It was Beauvillier’s second goal of the season and it came in his 300th NHL contest.

“It felt good. It always feels good to score goals,” Beauvillier said. “Great play by Nelly and Bails… It felt pretty good to score that goal.”

Jordan Eberle made it 4-1 just over three minutes into the third period and Ristolainen pulled Buffalo back within two off a goal at the 7:23 mark. New York made it 5-2 off Martin’s second goal of the game at 14:28 of the finale frame.

The two teams meet again on Saturday at 1 p.m. at the Coliseum.