Brock Nelson lifts hot Islanders over sagging Golden Knights

Brock Nelson scored the game-winning goal just beyond the midway point of the third period Tuesday night for the surging New York Islanders, who edged the Vegas Golden Knights 2-1 in Elmont, N.Y.

Bo Horvat scored in the first for the Islanders, who won for the eighth time in nine games despite being outshot 34-14. New York entered Tuesday four points behind the Detroit Red Wings and Columbus Blue Jackets in the Eastern Conference wild card race.

Goalie Ilya Sorokin made 34 saves.

Brandon Saad scored his first goal for the Golden Knights since signing with the team last Friday. Goalie Ilya Samsonov made 12 saves for Vegas, which has lost four straight (0-2-2) and 11 of 14 (3-8-3).

The teams combined for just six shots in the first period before Horvat broke the scoreless tie with 1:39 left. Adam Pelech, deep in the Islanders' zone, sent a clearing pass to Horvat who had a step on Saad. With Golden Knights defenseman Zach Whitecloud in pursuit, Horvat raced up the left side of the ice and descended upon Samsonov before shuffling the puck and tucking a backhand between his legs.

The Golden Knights outshot the Islanders 14-4 in the second, but New York had the best scoring chance with a little more than six minutes left. Samsonov turned back a shot by Pierre Engvall but was sprawled on the ice when Anthony Duclair's attempt to put back the rebound was blocked in the crease by defenseman Alex Pietrangelo.

Vegas finally tied the score with 12:20 left in the third. Nicolas Roy's shot glanced off Sorokin's pads and bounced into the slot, where Saad beat Engvall to the rebound and shoveled a shot over Sorokin's glove.

The Islanders retook the lead just 3:03 later when Alexander Romanov's slap shot from the blue line glanced off Nelson's stick and fluttered past Samsonov.

The Golden Knights almost got the equalizer with 3:14 remaining, when Sorokin smothered Ivan Barbashev's rebound of Jack Eichel's shot off the back boards.

--Field Level Media