Bo Horvat and Simon Holmstrom scored in the third period as the New York Islanders rallied to earn a critical 2-1 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday night in Elmont, N.Y.
With the win, the Islanders (33-27-15, 81 points) moved within one point of the Washington Capitals, who lost to the Buffalo Sabres, for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. The Islanders also trail the Detroit Red Wings by one point and lead the Pittsburgh Penguins by two points.
Horvat scored a power-play goal 93 seconds into the third to tie the game. The Islanders had failed to convert their previous 15 power plays. Holmstrom snapped the tie with 11:35 remaining in the game after a miscue by Chicago goalie Petr Mrazek.
Jason Dickinson scored in the first for the Blackhawks, whose 4-3 overtime win over the Islanders on Jan. 19 in Chicago led to New York firing coach Lane Lambert and replacing him with Patrick Roy.
New York goalie Ilya Sorokin made 18 saves Tuesday to stop a six-game losing streak.
Mrazek made 27 saves, including 24 in the opening two periods.
The Blackhawks (22-48-5, 49 points) took the lead 7:49 into the contest when rookie Connor Bedard and Dickinson teamed up on a two-on-one.
Following an offensive zone giveaway by New York defenseman Noah Dobson, Bedard motored down the right wing and slid the puck under New York defenseman Adam Pelech. Dickinson was waiting at the left slide of the crease and scored his 21st goal by lifting the puck into the upper-left corner.
The Blackhawks held the lead until New York’s Casey Cizikas kept the puck alive in the right corner and quickly moved it to Mathew Barzal. The forward then moved to the red line at the right side of the net and whipped a backhanded pass to Horvat, who one-timed the puck from in front over Mrazek’s glove and left shoulder.
Then came the mistake by Mrazek. He misplayed the puck behind the right side of the net and Anders Lee prevented Chicago defenseman Jaycob Megna from getting the puck. Lee sent the puck to the crease and when Megna struggled to clear, Holmstrom chipped in the loose puck for his 14th goal.
–Field Level Media
