Brock Nelson and Matt Martin scored 21 seconds apart in the second period, and the Islanders beat the Ottawa Senators, 3-1, Wednesday night at Barclays Center to break a season-high four-game losing streak.
John Tavares also scored in the Islanders’ three-goal second period, and the rookie goalie Jean-Francois Berube stopped 22 shots in his fourth career start.
The Islanders, who hold the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, got a needed victory in their playoff push after going 1-4-2 in their previous seven games.
The Islanders pulled within a single point of Pittsburgh for third place in the Metropolitan Division and moved to 4 points ahead of Philadelphia and Detroit, who are tied for the East’s second wild card.