Robin Lehner made 19 saves and Cal Clutterbuck scored two goals as the New York Islanders skated to their second straight shutout win, blanking the Anaheim Ducks 3-0 at NYCB Live. 

The Islanders' shutout streak currently stands at 132:53, with both Thomas Greiss and Lehner delivering clean sheets over that span. The back-to-back shutouts are the exclamation point on a stingy defensive stretch for the Islanders, who have only allowed three goals on their five-game winning streak and held their last three opponents to under 20 shots. 

"There's no secret ingredient, it's hard work, commitment and following our structure," Lehner said. "It leads to good things and we know we can go in confidently into a game against anyone in this league knowing we have a chance to win and it grows confidence."

With the win, the Islanders (62 points) remain first in the Metropolitan Division and hold a three-point lead on Washington and Columbus.

At first glance, it looks like any ordinary hockey tournament. 

Kids in matching team jackets run around the lobby of Northwell Health Ice Center, some are taping sticks, while others throw tennis balls at their goalies to keep them sharp. There are two games going on simultaneously on the two rinks, with cold parents clutching hot coffees to keep warm between cheers. 

NEW YORK ISLANDERS (28-15-4) VS ANAHEIM DUCKS (21-19-9)

3 PM | NYBC LIVE | BUY TICKETS

WATCH: MSG+ | MSG GO | NHL.TV | SNP | SNO | SNE | SN1

LISTEN: 88.7FM WRHU | 103.9FM LI NEWS | RADIO.COM/ISLANDERS

SEASON SERIES: NYI TRAILS 0-1-0

The Ducks beat the Islanders 4-1 on Oct. 17 in Anaheim. Ryan Kesler scored two goals for the Ducks, while John Gibson stopped 34-of-35 shots in the win. Casey Cizikas scored the lone goal for the Islanders, ending Gibson's shutout bid with 35 seconds to play. The Ducks have won the last three meetings between the clubs. 

The Skinny - Game 47
Isles 2, Washington 0

Two words: First Place.

Josh Bailey and Cal Clutterbuck scored 2:26 apart in the third period and Thomas Greiss made 19 saves for his 2nd shutout of the season as the Islanders moved into first place in the Metropolitan Division with a 2-0 victory over the Stanley Cup Champion Washington Capitals before a sellout crowd of 18,605 at Capital One Arena.

The Isles have won four straight games overall, six straight on the road, and seven straight in back-ends of back-to-backs. The Isles are now 13 games over NHL-.500 for the first time since ending the 2015-16 season with a 45-27-10 record.

It's the first time since March 10, 2015 that the Isles have been in first place this late in the season.

Friday's night's 2-0 win over the Washington Capitals was big for the Islanders in a couple of ways. 

The win vaulted the Islanders to first place in the Metropolitan Division - the first time they'd led the division after the midpoint in a season since March 10, 2015.

The win was Head Coach Barry Trotz's first against his former team in what was his first game back in Washington. 

Most importantly, the win showed just how effective the Islanders' new defensive system can really be. 

The 1977-78 regular season for the Islanders could be described as a re-defining of the term fabulous.

Never before in team history had a campaign progressed so admirably, so creatively, so artistically and, really, so exquisitely on as the regular 1977-78 schedule.

"All the pieces seemed to fall into place," said Glenn (Chico) Resch, who was approaching his goaltending prime. "The younger guys in particular -- like Bobby Nystrom -- kept improving their games."  

Barry Trotz was asked a lot this week about his upcoming return to Washington DC. 

He's largely downplayed it, insisting it'll be another game when he takes the visitor's bench at Capital One Arena on Friday night, his first visit since delivering a Stanley Cup as the Capitals head coach. He'll try to keep it all business, as the Isles can leapfrog the Capitals and potentially be in first place in the Metropolitan Division with a win, but if being back does stir up emotions, they'll be positive. 

"I'm going to have a lot of good emotions," Trotz said. "The four years I spent there were tremendous. We won a lot of games. I have a lot of friends in that dressing room and I have a lot of friends away from the dressing room."

NEW YORK ISLANDERS (27-15-4) AT WASHINGTON CAPITALS (27-14-5)

7:30 PM | CAPITAL ONE ARENA 

WATCH: MSG+ | MSG GO | NHL.TV | SNE | SN1

LISTEN: 88.7FM WRHU | 103.9FM LI NEWS | RADIO.COM/ISLANDERS

SEASON SERIES: NYI TRAILS 1-0-0

This is the second of four meetings between the Metro Division rivals this season. The Islanders lost the series opener to the Caps by a score of 4-1 at the Barclays Center on Nov. 26. Thomas Greiss was in net for the Islanders. Valtteri Filppula scored the lone goal for the Islanders.

The Skinny - Game 46
Isles 4, New Jersey 1

Michael Dal Colle's 1st career goal is a game-winner. Dal Colle scored the second of three first period Islander goals as the Isles recorded the 1,600th win in franchise history: a 4-1 victory over the New Jersey Devils before a crowd of 12,088 at the Nassau Coliseum. 

The Isles are now 4-1-1 in six games at their long-time home. 

Robin Lehner made 16 saves to improve to 10-1-0 in his last eleven games as the Isles moved twelve games over NHL-.500 for the first time since the final day of the 2016-17 season.  

Anders Lee scored the game's first and last goals; it was his first multi-goal game and first empty-net goal this season. With the win, the Isles move within one point of Columbus and Washington for the Division lead; the Isles can move into first place on Friday with a win in DC and a Columbus regulation loss.