Evander Kane scored a pair of shorthanded goals, but the Isles pulled away for a win over Buffalo.
By Brian Compton / NHL.com Deputy Managing Editor
BROOKLYN, N.Y. — York Islanders to a 6-3 win against the Buffalo Sabres at Barclays Center on Saturday.
Tavares and Cizikas scored shorthanded on the same penalty kill, and Josh Bailey scored at even strength in a span of 1:47 in the second period for New York. Anthony Beauvillier scored in the third period, and Jaroslav Halak made 26 saves in his first start of the season.
Evander Kane scored twice shorthanded in the second period, and Jack Eichel scored in the third for Buffalo (0-1-1). Robin Lehner was pulled in the second after allowing four goals on 16 shots. Chad Johnson made 15 saves in relief.
Tavares scored the Islanders’ first goal of the season 1:50 into the game when he finished a 2-on-1 with Jordan Eberle and put a wrist shot from the left circle past Lehner. New York was shutout 5-0 in its opener against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday.
Tavares made it 2-0 with a shorthanded goal at 5:13 of the second period. He intercepted Nathan Beaulieu’s pass in the Sabres zone, skated in alone and put a backhand shot past Lehner. It was the first of four shorthanded goals scored in the period. The last time four shorthanded goals were scored in a game was Nov. 18, 2000, between the Florida Panthers (one) and Ottawa Senators (three).
Cizikas made it 3-0 with another shorthanded goal at 6:03, a slap shot from the left circle.
Lehner was pulled at 7:00 when Bailey took a pass from behind the net by Joshua Ho-Sang and scored from the right circle to make it 4-0.
Kane scored at 10:09. Halak went to play the puck behind his net but was stripped by Eichel, who passed to Kane in front for a one-timer.
Kane’s second goal of the game came at 15:26 when he beat Halak on a wraparound after Ryan O’Reilly hit the crossbar.
Beauvillier made it 5-2 at 5:39 of the third period when he put Nick Leddy’s rebound past Johnson for his first goal of the season.
Eichel scored his first goal of the season with 3:44 remaining, putting a shot past Halak from right in front.
Cizikas made it 6-3 with an empty-net goal with 25 seconds left.