NEW YORK — In a decisive matchup, the New York Islanders claimed a 4-1 victory over the San Jose Sharks on Saturday night, with Mathew Barzal and Brock Nelson contributing to the scoreline with a goal and an assist each. Joining them on the scoreboard were Noah Dobson and Ryan Pulock, while goaltender Marcus Hogberg made 18 saves, helping the Islanders break a two-game losing streak.

San Jose’s sole goal came from Barclay Goodrow, and Alexandar Georgiev stopped 27 shots, marking the Sharks’ fifth loss in their last six outings, leaving them with a record of 1-5-0 in that stretch.

Barzal initiated the scoring with a breakaway goal at 8:47 of the second period, registering his sixth goal of the season. Goodrow soon equalized with a wrist shot from the perimeter that slipped past Hogberg’s blocker after the midway point of the frame. However, the Islanders quickly regained the lead just 40 seconds later, with Nelson deftly redirecting a Puck on a setup from Kyle Palmieri. Dobson then extended the Islanders’ lead to 3-1, finding the back of the net with just 27 seconds remaining in the second period.

Notably, Islanders forward Maxim Tsyplakov missed the game as he commenced serving a three-game suspension for a high hit on Flyers forward Ryan Poehling earlier in the week. Prior to the game, the Islanders paid tribute to Brent Sutter by inducting him into the team’s Hall of Fame. Sutter, a two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Islanders, amassed an impressive total of 363 goals and 466 assists throughout his 19-year NHL career.

Takeaways from the game showcased Sharks’ 19-year-old forward Will Smith playing alongside veterans Mikael Granlund and Fabian Zetterlund for the first time. Smith was drafted fourth overall by San Jose in the 2023 NHL Draft. Meanwhile, the Islanders find themselves struggling to close the gap in the Eastern Conference standings, currently sitting seven points behind the second wild card slot after a 5-5-0 record in their last 10 matches.

A key moment during the game was the Islanders quickly regaining the lead after Goodrow’s equalizer. Nelson’s skillful conversion of a rolling puck was vital in lifting the team’s momentum.

In terms of statistics, the Islanders improved their record to 17-4-4 this season when scoring at least three goals, including shootout triumphs, while their record drops to 1-16-3 when failing to reach that scoring threshold.

Looking ahead, the Sharks will travel to Boston for their next game on Monday, while the Islanders will be hosting the Columbus Blue Jackets.