Jean-Gabriel Pageau had a short-handed goal and an assist as the visiting New York Islanders cruised to a 4-1 victory over the San Jose Sharks on Saturday night.
Islanders goalie Ilya Sorokin stopped 29 of 30 shots for his 25th win of the season.
It was the third short-handed goal of the season and 19th of his career for Pageau.
Kyle Palmieri, Ryan Pulock and Zach Parise also scored goals for New York (36-27-8, 80 points), which moved into sole possession of the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. The Isles are two points ahead of the Pittsburgh Penguins and three points in front of the Florida Panthers.
Kevin Labanc scored for San Jose (19-37-14, 52 points), which suffered its sixth straight loss (0-4-2). Kaapo Kahkonen made 29 saves for the Sharks, who are a league-worst 6-20-10 at home this season.
San Jose took a 1-0 lead at the 7:33 mark of the first period when Labanc fired a wrist shot from the top of the left circle past Sorokin’s blocker side for his 12th goal of the season.
New York tied on Pageau’s short-handed goal when he rushed down the left side and then cut in front of the crease and defenseman Erik Karlsson while wrapping a shot around the left pad of Kahkonen.
The Islanders took a 2-1 lead early in the second period when Palmieri redirected Scott Mayfield’s shot from the right point through Kahkonen’s pads for his 12th goal.
Pulock made it 3-1 with a power-play goal a few minutes later when he one-timed a shot from the right point inside the far left post for his fourth goal of the season.
Parise made it four unanswered goals for the Islanders when he scored his 18th goal at the 5:19 mark of the third period, deflecting an Alexander Romanov shot over Kahkonen’s left shoulder.
–Field Level Media