Islanders get back on track with win against Sabres

Islanders get back on track with win against Sabres

Horvat, Tsyplakov each has goal, assist for New York, which had lost 3 straight

Islanders at Sabres | Recap

BUFFALO — Bo Horvat and Maxim Tsyplakov each had a goal and an assist for the New York Islanders in a 4-3 win against the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center on Friday.

Anders Lee had two assists, and Ilya Sorokin made 32 saves for the Islanders (4-5-2), who had lost three in a row (outscored 11-4).

New York defensemen Adam Pelech and Mike Reilly each left the game in the second period and did not return. Pelech took a puck to the face at 7:07. Reilly had to be helped off the ice following a hit by Jordan Greenway along the boards at 9:14.

Jason Zucker had a goal and an assist, and Bowen Byram had two assists for the Sabres (4-6-1), who have lost two straight. Devon Levi made 32 saves in his first start since Oct. 17.

Dylan Cozens gave Buffalo a 1-0 lead with a power-play goal at 9:03 of the first period. Rasmus Dahlin‘s shot from the right point hit Zucker in front and deflected near the left post, where Cozens scored past a lunging Sorokin for his first of the season.

Horvat scored 40 seconds later to tie it 1-1. Lee sent a stretch pass up to Horvat, who skated in on a breakaway and lifted a backhand over Levi’s left pad.

Tsyplakov put the Islanders in front 2-1 at 5:25 of the second period. He skated down the right wing following a turnover, cut inside on Sabres defenseman Connor Clifton and scored five-hole on Levi.

Kyle Palmieri pushed it to 3-1 at 12:20, roofing a one-timer from the left circle off a backhand pass from Tsyplakov for a power-play goal.

Zucker narrowed it to 3-2 at 5:27 of the third period when he redirected Tage Thompson’s shot from the right point.

The goal came 26 seconds after Zucker was stopped by Sorokin’s left pad on a penalty shot.

Jean-Gabriel Pageau made it 4-2 at 8:08. Lee’s backhand went wide of the net, but Horvat gained possession of the puck and passed out to the top of the crease, where Pageau tapped it in past Levi’s stick.

Owen Power cut it to 4-3 at 18:59, scoring on his own rebound near the left post with Levi on the bench for the extra attacker.