Credit: Tom Horak-USA TODAY Sports
Kyle Palmieri scored twice and Ilya Sorokin stopped all 41 shots he faced Wednesday night for the New York Islanders, who beat the rival New York Rangers 3-0 in Elmont, N.Y.
Josh Bailey scored in the third period for the Islanders, who snapped a three-game losing streak. The goals were the first of the season for both Palmieri and Bailey. Adam Pelech and Jean-Gabriel Pageau contributed two assists apiece.
Sorokin, who improved to 3-1-0 against the Rangers, recorded his 11th career shutout and first since beating the Montreal Canadiens on April 15.
Jaroslav Halak, who played for the Islanders from 2014-15 through 2017-18, made 26 saves for the Rangers, who have lost four straight (0-2-2).
The Rangers outshot the Islanders 17-8 during a first period in which the visitors killed a pair of penalties. The Islanders had a pair of solid scoring chances during the latter power play — generated when K’Andre Miller was whistled for tripping — but Anders Lee couldn’t jam home the rebound of a shot by Brock Nelson, and Mathew Barzal missed on a shot in the crease.
The Rangers produced their best chances later in the period, when Sorokin made a stick save on a point-blank shot by Kaapo Kakko after the right winger threaded his way through a trio of players in the Islanders’ zone. Sorokin also turned back Jimmy Vesey after the latter darted across the crease and tried to bury a shot into the corner of the net.
The Islanders finally broke through and took their first lead in eight days 8:44 into the second period. Palmieri briefly lost control of the puck near the left faceoff circle, but Pageau recovered it and tapped a pass to Palmieri, who beat Halak beyond his glove from the edge of the right faceoff circle.
Bailey, playing in his 999th game with the Islanders, doubled the lead 5:37 into the third when he skated in front of Halak, jumped and got a stick on Pelech’s shot.
Sorokin maintained the shutout with 9:51 left when he stopped Barclay Goodrow’s backhander.
Palmieri iced the victory with 4:38 left when his off-balance shot — fired while he jostled for position in the slot with Miller — fluttered over Halak’s head.
–Field Level Media