Lee scores twice, Islanders snap 11-game losing streak with 5-3 win over Senators

Dec 7, 2021 | 6:50 PM

OTTAWA — Anders Lee scored twice, and the New York Islanders snapped an 11-game losing streak with a 5-3 win over the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday night.

Oliver Wahlstrom, Kieffer Bellows and  former Senator Jean-Gabriel Pageau  also scored for New York (6-10-5), which had last won on Nov. 6. Ilya Sorokin stopped 30 shots.

Josh Norris, Nick Holden and Alex Formenton scored for Ottawa, (7-16-1), which saw its three-game winning streak come to an end.

Filip Gustavsson, who made 22 saves, has now lost his last four starts. 

The Islanders extended their lead to 4-1 at the six-minute mark of the third period as Bellows roofed a shot over Gustavsson, but Ottawa was able to cut the lead in half two minutes later as Holden scored his first of the season.

Pageau scored his third of the season at the 12-minute mark of the third, taking advantage of some confusion in front of the Seantors’ net.

Formenton picked up his fifth of the season with a short-handed goal to round out the scoring.

After a scoreless period, the Islanders led 3-1 after 40 minutes.

Lee opened the scoring three minutes into the second when he picked up his own rebound and backhanded it into the net.

Ottawa tied the game on a power play goal by Norris, who one-timed it past Sorokin.

Wahlstrom restored the Islanders’ lead when was able to walk in on Gustavsson and beat him shortside at 14:06 of the period. Just 27 seconds later, Lee scored his second of the night as he picked up a puck that took a weird bounce off the back boards and beat Gustavsson from in close.

Both teams had a number of solid chances in the opening period. Sorokin made a huge save on Tim Stutzle late in the period that left the 19-year-old shaking his head.

Notes: Senators defencemen Victor Mete and Michael Del Zotto and forward Adam Gaudette were healthy scratches. The Islanders Matt Martin was a scratch as he is dealing with a lingering injury. Casey Cizikas remains the Islanders last player in the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 7, 2021.

Lisa Wallace, The Canadian Press