3 Takeaways: Quick Strikes and Shutout Lead Isles Past Hawks 3-0

The New York Islanders snapped a two-game losing skid with a 3-0 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday night at UBS Arena.
Matt Martin kicked off the scoring with a goal that wasn't confirmed until three additional minutes of game time had passed. Zach Parise and Brock Nelson scored two goals in under a minute in the second period to give the Islanders the 3-0 lead.
Hudson Fasching made his Islanders debut, while Semyon Varlamov made 21 saves for his first shutout of the season and 12th as an Islander in the win.

"I thought structurally we were fairly sound (in the first period)," Head Coach Lane Lambert said. "We felt like we could be a little bit better heading into the second, and I give our players full credit. They came out and I would say turned it up a little bit. We took over the game a little bit from there."

AFTER FURTHER REVIEW...

After a tight video review didn't go the Islanders' way on Friday against the Predators, the Islanders found themselves on the other side of the ledger on Sunday.
A puck pinballed around the Blackhawks crease before Matt Martin swatted it into the net. Arvid Soderblom quickly pulled it out with his skate, but the tuck-in was determined to have crossed the line when the refs conferred over three minutes later. The goal gave the Islanders the 1-0 lead in the second period.
"I was pretty confident it was in," Martin said. "I came to the bench and said it was in. (Islanders assistant coach John MacLean) said (video coordinator Matt De Mado and assistant video coordinator Corey Smith) would look at it. I told the ref after the whistle that it was in, he said no, and then I think Toronto called it in."
Martin's goal was his third of the season, and the Islanders' first five-on-five goal since Nov. 26 against the Philadelphia Flyers. In two games since then, the Islanders have only scored on the power play, including one five-on-three opportunity in Philadelphia.

EXPLOSIVE SECOND PERIOD

The Islanders have been one of the best third period teams in the NHL this season, leading the NHL with 36 third period goals and outscoring their opponents 36-22. But against the Blackhawks, the Islanders broke the game open in the second, with 15 scoring chances to Chicago's five, and six high-danger chances to the Blackhawks' two, according to Natural Stat Trick.
ISLANDERS 3, BLACKHAWKS 0
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Postgame: Martin

Postgame: Varlamov
KINGER'S CALLS
Martin's Belated Goal
Parise's Deflection
Nelson's One-Timer
Martin's goal kicked off the scoring for the Islanders, but two goals in under a minute late in the second period helped the Islanders build a 3-0 lead. Zach Parise scored the first goal off a deflection of an Adam Pelech shot in front of the net. Brock Nelson scored the second goal on a rush chance off a feed from Anthony Beauvillier 43 seconds later.
"We talked a lot about getting volume to the net, getting people to the net, and getting some screens and rebounds," Parise said. "I think we did a better job of that tonight and were able to get some from from rebounds and crashes."
This is the fourth time this season the Islanders have scored two goals in under a minute, and the third-quickest two goals the Islanders have scored this season. The Islanders also scored two goals in 22 seconds against the Flyers on Nov. 26, two goals in 59 seconds against the Calgary Flames on Nov. 7, and two goals in 17 seconds against the Colorado Avalanche on Oct. 29. All three past occurrences came in the third period.
"The Nelson goal was a good 200-foot goal," Lambert said. "He was solid and responsible in his own end, and we made some good wall plays and came up the ice and Beauvillier came across. We emphasize, and everybody does, the shift after a goal and we've done a good job of that."
Anthony Beauvillier's primary assist on Brock Nelson's second period goal was his 200th NHL point (98G, 102A). Beauvillier has 11 points (5G, 6A) in 25 games this year. Beauvillier, an Islanders first-round pick (28th overall) in 2015, has been with the Islanders since 2016-17.

VARLAMOV POSTS FIRST SHUTOUT OF SEASON

Semyon Varlamov posted one of his best starts this season, saving 21 of 21 shots for his first shutout of the year. Varlamov's shutout was his 12th as an Islander, tying Ilya Sorokin and Jaroslav Halak for fifth on the Islanders' all-time leaderboard, and the 37th of his career.
Varlamov was tested early, as the Blackhawks had six high danger chances in the first period. Perhaps his best save came on a rebound chance from Jack Johnson, after Varlamov turned aside Patrick Kane's first attempt from the other side of the crease. Johnson prepped for the celebratory hug with his teammates before seeing Varlamov had made the save with his pad.
"It doesn't matter if it's the first one or number 10, it's always feels great for the goalie to get a shut out," Varlamov said. "I'm very happy now, it feels amazing every time we get a shutout, even every time you get a win. I feel great. It gives you confidence and you feel amazing."

NEXT GAME:

The Islanders wrap up their three-game Central Division homestand against the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday night. Puck drop is at 7:30 p.m.