John Tavares scored in the shootout to give the New York Islanders their first victory of the season, 4-3 over the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday night.
Jeff Tambellini and Frans Nielsen also scored in the shootout to help the Islanders avoid their worst start in the club’s history.
Andy Sutton, Tim Jackman and Matt Moulson scored in regulation for New York.
PHOTO: AFP
Matt Cullen scored in the second period and Erik Staal and Jussi Jokinen had goals in the third to tie the score and help the Hurricanes pick up a point for the first time in the last four games. Jokinen had Carolina’s lone score in the shootout.
Ryan Whitney, playing in his 1,000th career game, had an assist on Staal’s score.
WILD 3, AVALANCHE 2, SO
At St Paul, Mikko Koivu tied the game in regulation and scored on Minnesota’s first shot in the shootout, sending the Wild past Colorado.
Darcy Tucker and Kyle Quincey scored second-period goals for the Avalanche, who outshot the Wild 29-13 after the first period. Goalie Craig Anderson had a shaky start and couldn’t hold the lead the whole way, letting Koivu’s low snap shot get by.
Wild goalie Niklas Backstrom made 33 saves, then stopped all three shots in the shootout, two of them back-handers that missed wide right.
Brent Burns scored on a first-period power play, and Koivu tied it with 4:51 left in regulation on a simple redirect.
SABRES 5, PANTHERS 2
At Sunrise, Florida, Mike Grier, Jason Pominville and Matt Ellis each scored in the first five minutes of a wild opening period to lift Buffalo.
Tyler Myers and Thomas Vanek also scored in the first for the Sabres, who opened a three-game road trip. Steve Reinprecht and Rostislav Olesz had the Panthers’ goals.
Sabres goalie Ryan Miller, who hasn’t lost in regulation this season, stopped 41 shots.
BRUINS 3, PREDATORS 2
At Boston, Steve Begin got his first goal with the Bruins, getting the tiebreaker at 8:33 of the third period.
Also on Wednesday, it was:
• Canucks 3, Blackhawks 2
• Stars 4, Ducks 2
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