The goaltender shines against his former team; Jack Eichel leaves game with an injury.
By Heather Engel / NHL.com Correspondent
BUFFALO, N.Y. — Robin Lehner made 39 saves and the New York Islanders won their fourth straight game, 3-1 against the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center on Monday.
Nick Leddy, Brock Nelson, and Ryan Pulock scored for New York (21-13-4), which has won seven of its past eight games. Islanders coach Barry Trotz got his 783rd career victory, passing Al Arbour for fourth place on the NHL’s all-time list.
Kyle Okposo scored and Carter Hutton made 30 saves for Buffalo (21-13-6), which has lost three in a row and played the final two periods without captain Jack Eichel because of an upper-body injury. Eichel lasted only four shifts before he left.
Eichel, a game-time decision after he did not practice Sunday, played only 2:42 in the first period before he left for the locker room. He participated in a light skate Monday morning in preparation for the Sabres’ final game of 2018.
With Eichel out, Vladimir Sobotka and Evan Rodrigues both saw time on the first line with Jeff Skinner and Sam Reinhart. Eichel did not attempt a shot but won his only faceoff. Eichel has 15 goals among 49 points in 40 games this season.
Leddy gave the Islanders a 1-0 lead when his shot from the point found its way through traffic at 2:59 of the second period.
Nelson’s shot from the slot deflected off Hutton’s glove and trickled into the net to make it 2-0 at 1:45 of the third period.
Okposo ended a 21-game goal drought at 10:14 and Lehner’s shutout streak at 177:36 with a shot from the top of the right circle on the power play to make it 2-1.
Pulock scored an empty-net goal with 32 seconds remaining for the 3-1 final. Lehner had an assist.
Islanders forward Valtteri Filppula left the game after one shift because of an upper-body injury.