Brock Nelson scored twice, and the host New York Islanders racked up a season high in goals while cruising to an 8-2 victory over the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday.
Jordan Eberle, a 10-year veteran, reached the 500-career-point mark with a goal and an assist as the Islanders snapped a two-game losing streak.
The eight goals were the most in a game for the Islanders in nearly four years, since an 8-1 victory over Edmonton on Feb. 7, 2016.
Defenseman Noah Dobson scored his first NHL goal, and Leo Komarov tallied his first goal this season. Josh Bailey, Anders Lee and Anthony Beauvillier also scored for the Islanders, while Thomas Greiss made 34 saves in the easy win.
Detroit's starting goaltender, Jimmy Howard, was pulled after giving up three goals in the first eight minutes. The Red Wings allowed their highest goal total since an 8-1 loss against Montreal on Feb. 26, 2019.
Givani Smith scored his first NHL goal for Detroit. Filip Hronek also scored for the Red Wings, who lost for the 10th time in 13 games.
The Islanders bounced back from a 6-2 loss to the New York Rangers on Monday by racing to a 4-1 lead after one period.
Eberle scored 3:23 into the game, beating Howard through the five-hole.
Bailey scored his ninth goal on a second rebound just 36 seconds after Eberle's goal. Michael Dal Colle took a shot from the left circle that Howard stopped. The rebound came to Tom Kuhnhackl, whose attempt hit the post. The puck then caromed to Bailey, who stuffed it into the net.
Nelson's first goal of the game ended Howard's night at 7:56. Detroit defenseman Mike Green fell down while trying to retrieve the puck behind his net. Beauvillier took it away and passed it to Nelson, who one-timed it from the right side.
Hronek put Detroit on the board at 11:45 with a shot from the point that deflected off a stick.
Lee scored his 14th goal at 18:30 with a shot from the left side past Howard's replacement, Calvin Pickard. Mathew Barzal set up the play, and Eberle was credited with the second assist.
The Islanders scored twice in the first three minutes of the second period. Nelson was penalized for cross-checking in the closing seconds of the opening period. When he came out of the box, he had a breakaway and beat Pickard through the five-hole at 1:59.
Dobson then flipped a shot from the right boards through traffic to beat Pickard just 41 seconds later to make it 6-1.
Beauvillier scored on a redirect at 5:12 of the third period. Komarov made it 8-1 at 9:07 before Smith's goal for the Red Wings with six minutes remaining.
Pickard stopped 14 of the 19 shots he faced.
--Field Level Media
Detroit | NY Islanders | |
Filip Hronek 1 | Points | Brock Nelson 2 |
Filip Hronek 1 | Goals | Brock Nelson 2 |
Christoffer Ehn 1 | Assists | Mathew Barzal 2 |
N/A | Power Play Goals | N/A |
N/A | Short Handed Goals | N/A |
Calvin Pickard .737 | Save Percentage | Thomas Greiss .944 |
Calvin Pickard 14 | Saves | Thomas Greiss 34 |
Team | Shots | Goals | Power Play | Penalty Kill | Penalty Mins | Face Offs Won |
Detroit | 36 | 2 | 0-2 | 1-1 | 4 | 23 |
NY Islanders | 26 | 8 | 0-1 | 2-2 | 6 | 24 |