LAS VEGAS (AP) — Semyon Varlamov stopped 35 shots before leaving with an injury in the third period and the New York Islanders beat the Vegas Golden Knights 5-2 on Saturday night.
Zach Parise and Brock Nelson each had a goal and an assist, while Anders Lee, Hudson Fashling and Simon Holmstrom scored. Jean-Gabriel Pajo had two assists. New York won for just the second time in six games (2-3-1).
Varlamov left with 6:22 left and was replaced by Ilya Sorokin, who stopped the only shot he faced the rest of the way. Islanders coach Lane Lambert said he was surprised when Varlamov left the ice and didn’t know the goalie’s status.
“We’ll evaluate him in the next couple of days and see where he’s at,” Lambert said.
Reilly Smith scored twice for the Golden Knights, who had won six of their previous nine games. Vegas, who is 14-2-1 on the road, fell to 8-8 at home.
“You have to take what you have and we were ready to do that, but not early,” Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said. “At home that’s been our problem is we try to play against every team that comes into the game early in the game when they’re ready to play and it doesn’t work. That’s what we do well on the road against other teams.”
The Golden Knights lost captain Mark Stone when he was helped off the ice with 8:20 left on a hit by teammate Phil Kessel. Cassidy said Stone did not appear to be seriously injured, but he would know more on Sunday.
A knightly protector Alex Pietrangelo is back having missed the previous nine games due to the serious illness of his 4-year-old daughter, Evelyn. She returned home from a Las Vegas hospital this week after coming down with the flu, which led to encephalitis.
Pietrangelo said he feels comfortable enough with his daughter’s recovery to return to the Knights. He assisted on Smith’s goal in the third period and was later awarded a free kick. Pietrangelo played a team high 21:45.
The Islanders took a 1-0 lead with 1:02 left in the first period when Anthony Bavillier found Lee in the slot for his 10th.
New York’s Casey Tsizikos was called to the board late in the period, leading the Knights to a power play to open the second. Vegas took advantage at the 1:12 mark, scoring off a rebound by Smith to tie the game.
Fasching put the Islanders back in front 3:20 later, and Holmstrom made it 3-1 with 2:23 left in the second. It was the first career goal for Holmstrom, a rookie who was drafted by the Islanders in the first round in 2019 (23rd overall).
Tizikas nearly extended New York’s lead late in the second period, but the referees ruled his goal was scored just as the clock expired.
Smith’s second goal, on the power play early in the third, put the Knights up 3-2. He has four goals and six points in his last three games.
Parise and Nelson scored empty-netters in the final 90 seconds to seal the victory.
“It was a trip where we worked really hard and didn’t get the results we wanted,” Fasching said. “It’s good to get a ‘W.'”
NOTES
The Islanders announced that forwards Cal Clutterbuck and Kyle Palmieri are day-to-day with upper-body injuries. … Vegas’ Chandler Stevenson extended his point streak to four games (one goal, six assists). … New York’s Sebastian Ajo (one goal, two assists) has scored in three straight games. Nelson (one goal, four assists) also has points in three straight games. Nelson also had his 200th career assist.
FURTHER
Islanders: At Colorado on Monday night.
Golden Knights: Host Buffalo on Monday night.
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