Brock Nelson scored twice in the third period, Scott Mayfield scored a goal and collected an assist in a span of 2:58 in the first period and the New York Islanders opened a pivotal seven-game homestand with a 4-0 victory over the Arizona Coyotes on Friday night in Elmont, N.Y.
The Islanders won for the ninth time in 13 games (9-3-1) and moved back over .500 (14-13-6) for the first time in over two months. New York also improved to 7-2-1 in their past 10 home games after going 0-5-2 in their first seven home games at the new UBS Arena at Belmont Park.
Nelson scored his team-leading 12th and 13th goals of the season in different ways. It was his third multi-goal game of the season, and he nearly got the hat trick in the final minute before Arizona goaltender Scott Wedgewood kicked his left pad out.
Mayfield produced his second multi-point game of the season by scoring with 6:09 left in the first and getting the secondary assist on Austin Czarnik’s second goal of the season with 3:11 remaining in the period.
Josh Bailey and Adam Pelech collected two assists apiece.
New York goalie Ilya Sorokin was rarely tested and had an easy 17-save shutout. It was his fourth shutout this season, second of Arizona and seventh career shutout.
The Coyotes dropped to 5-4-2 in their past 11 games and were blanked for the fifth time this season.
Wedgewood returned from an eight-game absence in the health and safety protocols and allowed four goals on 30 shots.
The Islanders went ahead when Mayfield got the puck above the left faceoff circle and used a screen by Anders Lee to lift a slap shot past Wedgewood’s left arm.
Mayfield then set up Austin Czarnik when he lifted a pass that eluded Arizona defenseman Anton Stralman, banked off Lee to Czarnik, who converted the easy tap-in from the right doorstep.
Nelson made it 3-0 82 seconds into the third by finishing off a 2-on-1 and then slid the puck into the net while being taken down by Arizona’s Lawson Crouse.
Nelson made it 4-0 with 10:01 left as he crashed into the net and the goal was upheld following a review with replay officials in Toronto.
–Field Level Media
