RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Jordan Martinook scored for the first time in more than two months to break a third-period tie as the Carolina Hurricanes beat the New York Islanders 2-1 on Sunday night.
Jesperi Kotkaniemi also scored and Frederik Andersen made 21 saves for the Hurricanes, who’ve won back-to-back games following a stretch of four losses in five games to maintain first place in the Metropolitan Division.
“I feel like I’ve been getting chances and it’s hasn’t been going in,” Martinook said after a span of 24 games without a goal.
Jean-Gabriel Pageau scored first for the Islanders, who’ve lost two games in a row and three of their last five. New York is in playoff position, but only has four games remaining in a tight competition with multiple teams for the final two spots in the Eastern Conference.
“We did some good things and had good effort,” Pageau said. “We were a goal away.”
Ilya Sorokin stopped 33 shots for New York, which was outshot for only the second time in its last nine games.
Though they clinched a playoff spot more than a week ago, the Hurricanes are trying to stay ahead of New Jersey in the division.
“We have a job to do,” Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “We want to finish as high as we can. That (Islanders) team is playing for their lives and I thought we looked like the team that was maybe a little more desperate. That says a lot about the group.”
Andersen won for the first time in his last four games (1-2-1), though he has a team-leading 20 wins.
Martinook, who has played in all 76 games, gave Carolina its first lead when he skated in from the blue line after taking a pass from Jaccob Slavin. His shot produced his 12th goal of the season, but the first since Feb. 1.
“He has been in just some bad luck,” Brind’Amour said. “He has been deserving of a goal like that.”
Pageau’s first goal in seven games marked his third tally in 10 games since returning from a 12-game absence. It came in transition with 2:27 left in the first period, giving him 13 goals this season.
Carolina countered with Kotkaniemi’s goal at 9:27 of the second. He ended a nine-game goal-less stretch with his 15th of the season.
Sorokin played on back-to-back days for the second time since Dec. 16 and 17. Coming off Saturday’s 5-0 loss at Tampa Bay when Sorokin was pulled in the second period after allowing four goals, this marked the Islanders’ final set of games on consecutive days.
The Hurricanes outshot the Islanders 28-14 through two periods.
“Chances were few and far between, but we were one shot away,” Islanders coach Lane Lambert said.
THREE FOR THREE
Carolina has used three different goalies in its last three wins. Antti Raanta posted a shutout Saturday night at Montreal, while Pyotr Kochetkov was sent back to the minor leagues since winning March 25 vs. Toronto.
“All three of us have very different personalities, and it’s fun to learn about and help each other out that way,” said Andersen, who has reached 20 wins in nine different seasons.
NOTES: RW Jesse Puljujarvi posted his first point with Carolina in 11 games since arriving in a trade from Edmonton. He assisted on Kotkaniemi’s goal. ... Islanders D Alexander Romanov sat out for only the second time this season and for the first time since Feb. 7. ... Hurricanes LW Teuvo Teravainen was scratched for the third game in a row because of illness.
UP NEXT
Islanders: Host Tampa Bay on Thursday night.
Hurricanes: Host Ottawa on Tuesday night. ___
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