Big third period helps Islanders win

[October 15, 2014]  NEW YORK -- Before the four-goal third period that turned a tied game into a lopsided 6-3 victory for the New York Islanders over the New York Rangers on Tuesday, there were some words that needed to be said in the visiting locker room by Islanders coach Jack Capuano after the second period.

The Rangers tilted the Madison Square Garden ice in the second period, outshooting a sloppy Islanders team 21-8. Capuano let his players hear about it, too.

"I was disappointed in the second period because the things that we've talked about," a visibly frustrated Capuano said. "Twenty-five seconds become 50-second shift times, not winning the change game, not placing pucks where they need to be placed, grinding it out, doing the right things, and we just got too individualistic. We didn't use our points in the offensive zone.

"We weren't working as a unit of five, and that bothered me. But I like the way we played in the third and responded."

And respond the Islanders did, as right wing Kyle Okposo, center Brock Nelson, left wing Mikhail Grabovski and defenseman Nick Leddy turned a 2-2 dogfight into a 6-2 lead. Part of that was made possible by the splendid goaltending of Jaroslav Halak, who stopped 40 shots.

The Islanders, who won four games in all of October last season, are now 3-0-0. It's the first time the Islanders have won three straight to start a season since 2001-02, when they started 4-0.

Right wing Rick Nash did what he could, scoring his league-leading fifth and sixth goals for the Rangers, who have lost three straight after a season-opening victory in St. Louis.

Nelson and Nash are tied for the league lead with seven points.

The Rangers have allowed 12 goals over the past two games, both at Madison Square Garden.

"Anytime you are giving up that many goals in the third period at home, after being a tied game, it's going to be tough for everyone," Nash said. "The only way to get through is together. I don't think anyone can sit down and say they played a full 60-minute game here. Until we find that, it's going to be tough for us to win games."

The Rangers appeared to turn the page on a 6-3 home loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday, as they fired the first six shots on net of the game against the Islanders. Nash put the Rangers ahead 1-0 at 6:21 of the first period, slipping a bad-angle shot through the legs of Halak.

Defenseman Johnny Boychuk added his second goal of the season about four minutes later, scoring the Islanders' fifth power-play goal in three games to knot the game at 1-1.

Halak was at best in the second period, stopping 20 of 21 shots. The one that eluded him was a quick shot from the slot from center Derick Brassard, who was left alone in front for his second goal of the season.

Islanders center John Tavares would even the game at 2-2 with five minutes remaining in the period, capitalizing on a turnover behind the Rangers net. Tavares fired a shot from the slot past goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, who allowed six goals on 27 shots.

Lundqvist has allowed 12 goals on 51 shots in his past two games.

"I think as a goalie, right now, I'm playing with good structure," Lundqvist said. "But then I lose my structure a little bit when we as a group lose our structure a little bit, so together here we need to regroup and be better."

The Islanders had their own structure issues in the second period, but Halak was able to bail his team out for 20 minutes and set the stage for a third-period onslaught.

"We gave up (42) shots tonight, so I think we feel fortunate we got goaltending that really kept us in the game," Tavares said. "I just like the way came out hungry, came out aggressive in the third and we got rewarded. We knew had to be a lot better after the first 40 (minutes)."

NOTES: RW Kyle Okposo's goal was the 100th of his career. ... The Islanders beat the Rangers for the fourth time in the teams' past five meetings at Madison Square Garden. ... The Islanders were without LW Michael Grabner (lower body), D Lubomir Visnovsky (back), D Matt Carkner (back) and D Calvin de Haan (upper body). ... RW Rick Nash set a Rangers record by scoring a goal in each of the team's first four games of the season. Nash had just three goals in 25 playoff games last season. ... LW Ryan Malone made his Rangers debut after sitting the first three games as a healthy scratch. ... Rangers RW Mats Zuccarello returned to the lineup after a one-game absence caused by a shoulder injury.

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