Mathew Barzal scored with 31.5 seconds left in overtime after New York’s Semyon Varlamov stopped a penalty shot in the extra session, and the Islanders earned a 2-1 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday in Elmont, N.Y.
Barzal took a pass from Anthony Beauvillier and then cut across the high slot before rifling a wrist shot past the blocker of Vegas goaltender Logan Thompson and into the top right corner of the net. It was his 12th goal of the season, and he snapped a 10-game goalless drought.
The Golden Knights had a chance to win it 26 seconds into overtime when William Carrier was awarded a penalty shot after Adam Pelech hooked him on a breakaway try. However, Varlamov made a pad save on Carrier’s five-hole try.
Varlamov saved 44 of the 45 shots he faced while snapping a personal three-game losing streak, with his last win having occurred on Dec. 17 at Vegas. He also made a highlight-reel save on a Reilly Smith shot at an open-net in the second period when he stuck out his stick and deflected it over the net.
Anders Lee also scored for New York, which won its second straight game and prevailed for just the third time in 13 games (3-7-3).
Carrier scored the only goal for Vegas, which lost its fourth straight game (0-2-2) and fell for the seventh time in eight games (1-5-2). Thompson, named to the Pacific Division All-Star team, finished with 35 saves and fell to 1-5-1 in his past seven starts.
Following a scoreless first period that saw Vegas defenseman Shea Theodore fire a shot off the post and Thompson stop Beauviller’s point-blank try at the end of a two-on-none break with Barzal, the teams traded goals in the second period.
Lee gave the Islanders a 1-0 lead at the 3:52 mark with his 19th goal of the season when he roofed a loose puck in the low slot.
Vegas tied it near the end of the period when Chandler Stephenson passed from behind the net to Carrier standing alone near the right side of the crease. Carrier then whipped a wrist shot inside the far post past Varlamov’s blocker side for his 12th goal of the season.
–Field Level Media
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