Mathew Barzal scored a power-play goal 3:47 into the second period and Ilya Sorokin made 14 saves as the New York Islanders beat the Arizona Coyotes 1-0 on Tuesday in Elmont, N.Y.
The Islanders improved to 2-0-0 for the first time since starting the 2014-15 season with four consecutive wins. New York opened the season with a 3-2 win over the visiting Buffalo Sabres on Saturday.
Barzal got his goal seven seconds after Arizona’s Barrett Hayton was called for slashing Simon Holmstrom.
After New York’s Bo Horvat won an offensive-zone faceoff, Islanders defenseman Noah Dobson made a quick feed to Barzal. The center moved to the top of the left faceoff circle, and his rising slap shot sailed through traffic and past Arizona goalie Karel Vejmelka.
Sorokin recorded his 17th career shutout in a mostly quiet night for Arizona’s offense. Sorokin stopped three shots in the first period and three in the second, then eight more in the third when Arizona began getting some better scoring chances.
Vejmelka stopped 33 shots as the Coyotes lost their second straight after opening the season with a 4-3 shootout victory over the New Jersey Devils on Friday.
A night after being unable to score on a five-on-three power play and a penalty shot in a 2-1 loss to the New York Rangers, Arizona was unable to get a shot on goal during a four-minute power play early in the opening period on Tuesday.
After Barzal’s tally, the Islanders had more scoring chances but could not convert.
Barzal nearly scored with 11:05 remaining in the second but was stopped on a partial breakaway. A few minutes later, Vejmelka made a sliding, left-pad save on Holmstrom.
New York’s Jean-Gabriel Pageau nearly scored on a partial breakaway early in the third, and Barzal was denied on a backhander with just under 17 minutes left.
The Coyotes conclude their season-opening, four-game road trip on Thursday with a contest against the St. Louis Blues before playing their home opener on Saturday against the Anaheim Ducks. The Islanders finish their three-game homestand on Friday against the Devils.
–Field Level Media
