Surging Islanders handle Avs for fifth straight win

Simon Holmstrom scored twice in the third period Tuesday night for the surging New York Islanders, who extended their season-best winning streak to five games with a 5-2 victory over the Colorado Avalanche in Elmont, N.Y.

Anders Lee scored in the second period for New York before Holmstrom tallied the go-ahead goal early in the third. Bo Horvat and Alexander Romanov added goals later in the period before Holmstrom buried an empty-netter.

Ilya Sorokin made 30 saves for New York, which went 5-2-0 on a season-long seven-game homestand to inch within four points of an Eastern Conference wild-card spot.

The Islanders' five-game winning streak is their longest since a six-game run from April 1-11, 2024, that helped them clinch a playoff spot.

Artturi Lehkonen scored in the second period and Jack Drury scored in the third for the Avalanche, who have lost four of five (1-3-1). Mackenzie Blackwood recorded 23 saves.

Lee opened the scoring 4:11 into the second period. Tony DeAngelo picked up a loose puck in the neutral zone and sent a backhanded pass that skipped diagonally to Brock Nelson, who immediately fired the puck off the left boards. The puck bounced to Lee in stride, and Lee went from his forehand to his backhand and tucked a point-blank shot between Blackwood's legs.

Lehkonen scored a highlight-reel worthy goal to tie the score with exactly seven minutes left in the middle period. Nathan MacKinnon passed across the crease to Lehkonen without knowing Lehkonen had fallen while angling for position with Islanders defenseman Isaiah George. But Lehkonen, sitting on the ice, still got his stick on the puck and flicked a shot over Sorokin's pads.

Holmstrom put the Islanders ahead with an impressive effort 1:54 into the third period. After checking Avalanche defenseman Calvin de Haan behind the Colorado net but not collecting the puck, Holmstrom took a pass from Jean-Gabriel Pageau, skated into the right faceoff circle, whirled and sent a shot glancing off the stick-side post.

Josh Manson appeared to tie the score at 4:37, but his goal was waved off after a review challenge showed Drury interfered with Sorokin.

Horvat doubled the lead with 8:37 left when he converted on Lee's wraparound pass into the crease. Drury scored with 5:05 remaining before Romanov added insurance with a goal off a faceoff win with 2:29 left. Holmstrom scored his empty-netter with 1:10 remaining.

--Field Level Media