DALLAS — A dominant third period propelled the New York Islanders to a 3-2 victory over the Dallas Stars on Tuesday night at the American Airlines Center. The Islanders, fueled by strong goaltending from David Rittich, are having an outstanding road trip, improving to 5-1-0 on their seven-game trek.
The scoring opened in the second period when Calum Ritchie, fresh from the Islanders' AHL affiliate in Bridgeport, scored his first NHL goal at 10:35, giving the Islanders a 1-0 lead. However, the Stars quickly responded, with Jason Robertson tying the game at 1-1 at 12:26, capitalizing on a give-and-go play with Tyler Seguin.
The third period was filled with action. Bo Horvat put the Islanders back in front at 2-1 at 3:12, followed by Kyle Palmieri's shorthanded goal at 7:38, increasing the lead to 3-1. Robertson scored again at 18:01, bringing the Stars within one goal. The game ended in controversy when what appeared to be a game-tying goal by Wyatt Johnston with just 0.1 seconds remaining was overturned due to goaltender interference after review.
Rittich made 22 saves for the Islanders. Jake Oettinger stopped 19 shots for the Stars. The Islanders' penalty kill proved crucial, as they held the Stars scoreless on three power-play opportunities. The Islanders were 0-for-2 with the man advantage.
Islanders coach Patrick Roy chose to start Rittich after Ilya Sorokin’s strong performance in Sunday’s loss to the Avalanche. The Stars' five-game winning streak came to an end with this loss.
Looking ahead, the Islanders continue their road trip against the Detroit Red Wings, while the Stars begin a four-game West Coast trip in Vancouver against the Canucks.
