UNIONDALE, N.Y. — Martin Biron had
28 saves to lead the New York Islanders to a 4-1 win over the Ottawa
Senators on Saturday.
John Tavares, Dylan Reese and Jack
Hillen each scored goals in the second period to start the blowout.
Sean Bergenheim added another goal in
the final period. Blake Comeau and Richard Park each had two assists.
Matt Cullen's close-range goal late in
the third ended Biron's bid for his 27th career shutout.
The loss snapped Ottawa's six-game win
streak.
The Islanders won for the fourth time
in five games to stay alive in the Eastern Conference playoff race,
scoring 17 goals in its last four games.
The Senators clinched a return trip to
the playoffs on Thursday and remained seven points ahead of Montreal
for fifth-place with three games remaining. The Canadiens hosted Buffalo
later.
New York came up empty on seven shots
in the first period, but scored three goals on its first six shots in
the second off goalie Brian Elliott.
Rookies Tavares and Reese scored
exactly two minutes apart and second-year veteran Hillen added another
to deflate a Senators club that fell five points behind Pittsburgh for
fourth place.
Comeau opened the barrage on a 3-on-2
rush, setting up Tavares' high-slot goal 1:19 into the period.
Tavares scored for the first time in
17 games at Nassau Coliseum, ripping a shot into the top-right corner
for his 22nd goal. Comeau has six points in his last three games.
Just two minutes later, Reese's right
circle slap shot moved through traffic in front to beat Elliot. New
York got another goal from a defenseman when Hillen's
between-the-circles wrist shot beat Elliot high glove-side midway
through the period for a 3-0 lead.
Former Islander Chris Campoli nearly
ended the shutout bid two minutes into the third before his point shot
hit the right post and skipped away from the goal mouth.
Bergenheim redirected a point-blank
rebound for his ninth goal at 4:13 for a four-goal edge. Tavares'
primary assist gave the top overall pick 11 multigoal games this season.
Ottawa's Jason Spezza had scored
seven goals and 12 assists in his last 15 games against the Islanders
but was held scoreless on three shots.
Notes
Ottawa D Andy Sutton was hit
with a 10-minute misconduct penalty on his first trip to Long Island
since New York traded him last month. … Goal-scoring co-leader Milan
Michalek (leg) and top-scoring defenseman Filip Kuba (lower body) were
scratched. … Biron started consecutive games for the first time since
Nov. 6. … Trevor Gillies bloodied Ottawa defenseman Matt Carkner in a
center-ice fight early in the final period. … A fan won a car after
successfully shooting a puck into a small opening during a
second-intermission contest.