Kyle Okposo scored on the power play for Buffalo's lone goal of the game. Malcolm Subban made 28 saves on 32 shots for the Sabres.
THE SCORING:
First Period:
12:35 - NYI 1, BUF 0 -From the slot, Mathew Barzal lifted his shot over Malcolm Subban's glove side to give the Islanders the first goal of the game. Josh Bailey and Noah Dobson recorded the assists.
19:00 - BUF 1, NYI 1, PPG - Kyle Okposo buried a rebound from Semyon Varlamov on the power play to put the Sabres on the board. Brett Murray and Viktor Olofsson posted the assists.
Second Period:
6:45 - NYI 2, BUF 1 - Kieffer Bellows dangled through Buffalo's blueline and buried his shot past Malcolm Subban. Andy Greene earned the sole assist on the goal.
11:25 - NYI 3, BUF 1, PPG -Anders Lee extended the Islanders' lead to 3-1 as he redirected a rebound with a backhander to beat Malcom Subban. Kieffer Bellows and Mathew Barzal picked up the assists.
Third Period:
11:43 - NYI 4, BUF 1 -Noah Dobson fires a long-range shot through Malcolm Subban's pads to give the Islanders a 4-1 lead. Josh Bailey and Mathew Barzal registered the assists.
SPECIAL TEAMS:
The Islanders were 1-for-2 on the power play and 1-for-2 on the penalty kill.
GOALTENDING BATTLE:
Semyon Varlamov made 36 saves on 37 shots for the Islanders.
Malcolm Subban made 28 saves on 32 shots for the Sabres.
NOTEBOOK:
Matt Martin, Cal Clutterbuck, Zach Parise and Robin Salo all exited COVID-19 protocols and drew back in the lineup for the Islanders… Semyon Varlamov made his eighth start of the season and improved his record 2-5-1… Mathew Barzal played in his first game since Dec. 11 after being sidelined due to COVID-19 protocols on Dec. 14. The centerman scored his sixth goal of the season and posted two assists. He leads the team in points with 20 (6G, 14A) through 24 games… Kieffer Bellows scored his third goal of the season and has goals in two-straight games. With his two-point (1G, 1A) performance against Buffalo, the 23-year-old now has seven points (3G, 4A) through 13 games. Anders Lee scored his ninth goal of the season. The Islanders' captain extended his point streak to four games where he tallied as many points (2G, 2A) during that span… Noah Dobson scored his fourth goal of the season. The 21-year-old leads the Islanders' blueline in scoring with 12 points (4G, 8A)... Michael Dal Colle made his season debut with the Islanders…
HIGHLIGHT OF THE GAME:
