Islanders wipe out Sharks for 5th win in a row

Seven players scored a goal apiece for the surging New York Islanders, who inched closer to a wild-card spot by routing the host San Jose Sharks 7-2 on Thursday.

Noah Dobson was credited with a goal just 19 seconds into the game for the Islanders, who have won a season-high five straight - their longest streak since a five-game run from Oct. 26 to Nov. 3, 2022.

Alexander Romanov scored late in the first before Bo Horvat, Kyle MacLean, Mathew Barzal and Sebastian Aho all collected goals within a span of 5:01 in the back half of the second period.

Anders Lee scored in the third as the Islanders moved within two points of the Detroit Red Wings and Tampa Bay Lightning, who are tied for the two Eastern Conference wild-card spots.

Ilya Sorokin made 23 saves for the Islanders.

Thomas Bordeleau and Mike Hoffman scored in the second for the Sharks, who have lost nine straight (0-7-2) — just their third-longest losing streak of the season. Magnus Chrona recorded 26 saves.

Dobson, playing in his 300th game, opened the scoring when his pass intended for Lee glanced off the stick of Sharks right winger Filip Zadina, under the legs of defenseman Kyle Burroughs and past Chrona.

Romanov doubled the lead with 1:29 left before the teams combined for six goals in the second.

The Sharks closed within 2-1 when William Eklund's shot from the goal line glanced off Bordeleau's skate and fluttered past Sorokin at 2:45. Horvat extended the lead to two goals again a little under nine minutes later, when he picked off a pass by Nico Strum at the San Jose goal line and scored with 8:36 left.

Hoffman scored just 25 seconds later, when Sorokin could not stop his shot from trickling through his legs. MacLean put the Islanders ahead 4-2 just 15 seconds after that, when he put back the rebound of an Adam Pelech shot that glanced off Matt Martin.

Henry Thrun's pass was gloved in the air by Barzal to begin the sequence that ended with Barzal scoring with 5:39 remaining. Aho's shot from the left faceoff circle sailed under Chrona's glove at the 16:25 mark.

Lee closed the scoring 8:08 into the third, when his pass glanced off the skate of Jan Rutta and into the net for a power-play goal.

—Field Level Media