Click:楼凤app
Hats flew onto the ice at Barclays Center on Tuesday night as John Tavares finished off a lesson in the art of deflection.
The Islanders’ captain tallied a hat trick, all three goals coming off redirections and the last serving as a game-winner to lift his team past the pesky but still winless Coyotes 5-3.
A game after snapping a five-game pointless streak, Tavares continued to rack up the points and now has seven in his last two games. In turn, the Islanders have won three straight.
“I think a couple weeks prior, I had some opportunities, some that I expect myself to put in,” Tavares said. “[Tonight] I was just a little better finishing plays off, obviously some great plays by my teammates and I got rewarded for that.”
Tavares’ final strike came with 7:19 seconds left in the game. He parked himself just to the left of the net and got his stick on a hard pass from Adam Pelech to push it top shelf.
“As a defenseman, you’re always just looking for an open stick there, especially when you see John pop out,” said Pelech, who had three assists. “When he’s open, you definitely want to get him the puck.”
“[Pelech] put it in a perfect spot for me, really made it easy for me to leave my stick out there and let the momentum of the puck do the work,” Tavares said.
Scott Mayfield added a late goal for the final margin, becoming the Islanders’ first defenseman to score a goal this season. Goalie Jaroslav Halak made 32 saves to help secure the win.
The Islanders lost a pair of one-goal leads in the third period, but once Tavares struck for the third time, there was no coming back for the Coyotes.
“I’m not all that pleased with the game, so we needed [Tavares’] leadership tonight,” coach Doug Weight said.
Brock Nelson added a third-period goal for the Islanders on the power play, at the time putting his team up 3-2. But the Coyotes tied it up again minutes later before Tavares’ final tally.
Coming off a game in which Weight said his team played its best first period of the year, the Islanders came out flat Tuesday. It put them in a hole early when ex-Rangers prospect Anthony Duclair knocked in a rebound off Halak for a 1-0 lead.
Weight would not share what he said to his team in the first intermission, but his players came out with jump in their skates in the second period.
Eberle, who now has six assists for the season, continued to create and set up Tavares’ first goal. He sent a pass to the front of the net, where Tavares was waiting with his stick in good position and got just enough of a deflection to flick the puck over Coyotes goalie Louis Domingue for the 1-1 tie.
“I want to be productive like that every game,” Tavares said. “Obviously it doesn’t always go that way, but the best area to score goals is in front of the net. It’s an area teams defend well and you gotta find a way to get open and create space and be available for your teammates.”
Tavares converted again later in the period. Pelech scooped up a puck from Eberle and while his shot was blocked, he regained possession and got it to the net again. Tavares was there as it hit off his right skate and then his stick before finding the net.
“That’s definitely a skill that certain few players have,” Pelech said. “It’s obviously very effective, as you saw tonight.”