UNIONDALE, N.Y. — Josh Bailey scored twice, Anthony Beauvillier had a goal and three assists, and the New York Islanders beat the Rangers 6-1 Tuesday night.
Jordan Eberle and Jean-Gabriel Pageau each had a goal and an assist, and Brock Nelson also scored. Semyon Varlamov stopped 25 shots to help the Islanders win their second straight and seventh in the last 10 to pull into a tie with Washington atop the East Division ahead of a stretch of three straight games against the Capitals.
Kevin Rooney scored for the Rangers, who had won four straight — all against New Jersey — and lost in regulation for just the second time in 12 games (8-2-2). Igor Shesterkin finished with 22 saves to fall to 0-3-1 in four career starts against the Islanders.
The Islanders took a 3-1 lead into the third and scored three times in a 3:38 span midway through the period to put the game away.
Pageau fired a one-timer into the top right corner off a pass from Beauvillier for his 13th of the season at 7:44 to give the Islanders a three-goal lead.
Beauvillier then set up Bailey for a one timer from nearly the same spot with 9:44 left. It was Bailey’s second of the game and eighth of the season.
After a Rangers turnover, Travis Zajac brought the puck up the left side on a 2-on-1 and passed it to Eberle, who beat Shesterkin for his 15th to make it 6-1 just 1:06 later.
The Islanders, who scored just two goals while losing two of three on their road trip, improved to 19-2-2 at home this season. The Rangers, 4-0-2 in their last six on the road, were 9-1-2 in their last 12 games at the Nassau Coliseum.
Leading 1-0 after 20 minutes, the Islanders scored twice in a 4:07 span early in the second period to pad their advantage.
Nelson tipped Nick Leddy’s centering pass in front past Shesterkin for his team-leading 16th of the season at 1:38. With the Islanders on their third power play of the game, Beauvillier then scored from the right circle off a pass from Noah Dobson to make it 3-0 at 5:45.
The Rangers got on the scoreboard with just under nine minutes left in the second as Brendan Smith’s shot from the right point deflected off Rooney’s stick and past Varlamov. for his seventh.
Varlamov made two stellar saves with 90 seconds left in the middle period, the first on a wraparound try by Brett Howden and then his follow try in front.
The Islanders outshot the Rangers 11-8 in a fast-paced opening period and had plenty of scoring chances.
Bailey, back after missing the last two games, gave the Islanders the 1-0 lead late in the first. Jean-Gabriel Pageau cut toward the net and passed across the front to Bailey, who quickly put it in past Shesterkin for with 2:18 left.
BIG HIT
Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba was helped off the ice and to the dressing room midway through the first period after taking a hard hit in the corner from the Islanders’ Matt Martin. Trouba stumbled as he got up and fell back to the ice. Moments earlier, Trouba had leveled Martin with a hard hit near the sideboards. The Rangers later announced Trouba would not return to the game.
STREAK
Ryan Pulock played in his 241st consecutive game, breaking a tie with J.P. Parise to take over sole possession of ninth place on the franchise list.
SOMBER
There was a moment of silence before the game for the victims of the shooting earlier in the day at the Stop & Shop grocery store in West Hempstead, New York, about four miles from Nassau Coliseum. At least one person was killed and two were injured in the incident.
UP NEXT
Rangers: Host Philadelphia on Thursday night in the opener of a two-game series and five-game homestand.
Islanders: Host Washington on Thursday night in the opener of a three-game series — the first two at home and the last on the road.
