Ottawa Senators vs New York Islanders Match Player Stats On Dec 28, 2018

The New York Islanders scored five unanswered goals Friday night to come back for a 6-3 win over the visiting Ottawa Senators.

Mathew Barzal scored the go-ahead and insurance goals for the Islanders, who have won two straight and five of six. Josh Bailey, Anders Lee, Johnny Boychuk and Casey Cizikas also scored for New York. Goalie Robin Lehner earned the win by stopping all 10 shots he faced in relief of Thomas Greiss, who was pulled after giving up three goals on 17 shots.

Mark Stone, Matt Duchene and Cody Ceci scored for the Senators, who have lost three straight and four of five. Goalie Mike McKenna recorded 33 saves.

The Senators took the lead off an Islanders turnover late in the first period. Stone picked off a pass deep inside the New York zone and beat Greiss under his glove arm with 3:42 left in the period.

An impressive individual effort by Duchene helped the Senators double their lead just 2:47 into the second. Duchene managed to keep control of the puck while stiff-arming Boychuk before he beat Greiss from point-blank range.

The Islanders needed just 24 seconds to cut the gap in half. McKenna's attempt to clear the puck was intercepted by Barzal, who dished to Bailey, who fired a shot past McKenna.

The Senators went back ahead by two goals exactly three minutes later, when Ceci descended upon Greiss and managed to navigate a shot past him even as Anthony Beauvillier tried poking the puck free from behind.

Another Senators turnover allowed the Islanders to pull within a goal late in the period. Ben Harpur's pass ticked off the stick of Nick Paul and to Lee, who fired a shot between McKenna's legs with 3:32 left.

The Islanders tied the score and took the lead within a two-minute span early in the third. Boychuk evened the game at 3 with a sizzling slap shot that sailed through a gaggle of players in front of McKenna, including Cizikas, at the 2:57 mark

Barzal then put the Islanders ahead at 4:51, when his shot sailed under McKenna's arm.

The reigning Calder Trophy winner added an insurance goal with 7:36 remaining, and Cizikas scored an empty-netter in the final minute.

--Field Level Media