Islanders 6, Coyotes 1
UNIONDALE, N.Y. -- John Tavares scored a pair of goals Tuesday night for the New York Islanders, who recorded their most lopsided win in almost three years with a 6-1 rout of the Phoenix Coyotes at Nassau Coliseum.
Peter Regin, Matt Donovan, Colin McDonald and Josh Bailey also scored for the Islanders, who hadn't won a game by five goals or more since a 9-3 win over Pittsburgh on Feb. 11, 2011.
The Islanders (2-0-1) won decisively despite being outshot 34-28. New York last had as many as five points through three games in 2001-02, when the Islanders opened 3-0-0.
Goalie Evgeni Nabokov made 33 saves for the Islanders.
Martin Hanzal scored in the second period for the Coyotes (1-2-0), who have been outscored 10-2 in losing the first two games of a season-long five-game road trip.
Phoenix goalie Mike Smith was pulled after allowing five goals on 20 shots in the first two periods.
The Islanders, who blew a two-goal third period lead in a 3-2 shootout loss to Columbus on Saturday night, immediately seized momentum Tuesday. Brock Nelson picked the puck up at center ice and dished to Regin, who skated up the right side and beat Smith just 1:49 into the game.
It was the first NHL goal for Regin since Dec. 13, 2011, when he scored for Ottawa against Buffalo.
The Islanders took advantage of a two-man advantage to extend their lead with just under five minutes left in the first. With the Coyotes' David Schlemko (high sticking) and Antoine Vermette (delay of game) in the penalty box, the Islanders peppered Smith until Frans Nielsen sailed a pass over the goalmouth and to Tavares, who fired it past Smith.
Donovan's first NHL goal gave the Islanders a 3-0 lead at 11:47 of the second. His shot from just inside the blue line that was slowed by Smith, but the puck trickled between his legs and into the net.
Phoenix ended the shutout just 43 seconds later, when, with the PA announcer still detailing the Islanders' goal, Mikkel Boedker cleared the puck from behind the net and found Hanzal, who fired the puck through Bailey's legs and over the shoulder of Nabokov.
The Islanders ensured there'd be no blown lead Tuesday, though, as Tavares and McDonald scored just less than four minutes apart to lengthen the lead to 5-1 entering the third period.
Bailey's goal -- off a nifty back-and-forth exchange with Nielsen at the face-off circles -- with 8:41 left in the third capped the scoring.
NOTES: The Islanders scratched D Matt Carkner, D Griffin Reinhart and LW Eric Boulton while the Coyotes scratched D Chris Summers, D Derek Morris and LW Paul Bissonnette. ... Islanders RW Cal Clutterbuck (leg laceration) resumed practicing Monday and said he hopes to return to the active roster Friday, when the Islanders play the Blackhawks in Chicago. Clutterbuck was hurt when his leg was cut by a skate during an exhibition game against the Calgary Flames on Sept. 17. ... Bissonnette served the final game of his three-game suspension for his role in the Coyotes' fight with the Los Angeles Kings on Sept. 15. ... Coyotes D Rusty Klesla, who suffered a concussion against the Kings, hopes to make his season debut during the current road trip. ... Prior to Tuesday night, the Islanders and Coyotes last played each other Jan. 7, 2012, when Phoenix won 5-1 in Arizona. The Islanders last hosted the Coyotes on Dec. 18, 2010, when Phoenix eked out a 4-3 shootout win.
