The New York Islanders did not forget what happened against the Washington Capitals in their last meeting.
Alex Ovechkin recorded his second hat trick of 2020 as Washington erased a three-goal third-period deficit with five unanswered goals.
On Monday, the Islanders took a two-goal lead into the third period and buckled down defensively to leave Capital One Arena with a 5-3 victory. Anthony Beauvillier scored twice in the opening period, Brock Nelson added three assists and the Islanders picked up their third win in the previous four games.
Ovechkin failed to push his goal total past 698 as the Capitals closed out a four-game homestand with a 1-3 record. Ilya Samsonov was chased from the net after he allowed five goals on 20 shots. John Carlson, Lars Eller, T.J. Oshie scored for Washington and Nicklas Backstrom recorded two assists in Washington’s second consecutive loss.
[RELATED: Ovechkin’s chase for 700th goal continues Thursday on NBCSN]
Beauvillier producing
The 22-year-old scored twice in the opening period and extended his point streak to a career high six games. The Islanders moved into third place of the Metropolitan Division with three games in hand on the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Beauvillier is often looked at as an afterthought in a series of trades that eventually brought Mathew Barzal to the Islanders. But, he is quickly becoming the additional scorer that New York desperately needs.
The Islanders have proven that they can play a structured game while severely limiting chances from the opposition. However, consistent offensive production has been a lingering question since Barry Trotz took over behind the bench.
The Islanders are 28-2-3 this season when they score at least three goals (including overtime winners).
Beauvillier’s increased scoring is a great starting point as the trade deadline approaches. But, if the Islanders are looking to play deep into the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs, they’ll likely need reinforcements.
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Scott Charles is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @ScottMCharles.