Game Recap: Islanders 4, Hurricanes 1

The New York Islanders' dominance over the Metropolitan Division continued on Saturday night, as the Isles beat the Carolina Hurricanes 4-1 at Barclays Center.
The Isles scored two goals on their first two shots on Saturday night and never looked back, improving to 9-1-0 against divisional opponents, including a third straight win over the Canes.

"It's a good stat to have, and one we want," Josh Bailey said of the team's divisional record. "It's crucial when it comes to playoff time for seeding and we have to keep it up."
Valtteri Filppula, Bailey (1G, 1A), Anthony Beauvillier and Adam Pelech scored for the Islanders, while Thomas Greiss made 26 saves in the win. Anders Lee and Brock Nelson each finished the game with two assists. Justin Williams scored Carolina's lone goal late in the third period, while Scott Darling made 15 saves for the Hurricanes.

THAT WAS FIL-THY:

Valtteri Filppula scored a spectacular goal on Saturday night, dangling through four Hurricanes before burying a backhand on Scott Darling.
Despite social media buzz and praise from his teammates, Filppula was matter-of-fact about the highlight reel goal.
"I was just trying to look for some empty room there and all of the sudden it turned out to be a one-on-one with the goalie," Filppula said. "It definitely felt good to get that goal."
The individual effort was Filppula's sixth goal of the season, tying him for fourth on the Islanders, as well as his 15th point of the season. Brought in for his penalty killing and leadership, Filppula has quietly been a productive player for the Islanders.
"Val is deceptive. You talk about hockey IQ and the experience he brings to the locker room, he's one of the guys that everybody I think appreciates when you get to play for him," Trotz said. "He's come in and done exactly what Lou wanted and he's been a big part of any success that we've had."

BEAUVILLIER SCORES FIFTH GOAL IN FIVE GAMES:

Over the past nine days, no Islander has had a hotter stick than Anthony Beauvillier. Beauvillier scored his fifth goal in as many games on Saturday, tapping in a Josh Bailey to put the Islanders up 2-0 in the first period.
Beauvillier has been red-hot since breaking out with his first-career hat trick against the New York Rangers on Nov. 15. The 21-year-old has seven points (5G, 2A) in his last five games.

BAILEY AND PELECH FINISH IT OFF:

Josh Bailey finished the game with a goal and an assist, putting the Islanders up 3-0 at 13:17 of the second period. Brock Nelson set up Bailey from below the goal line and the Isles leading scorer made no mistake, sneaking the puck under the arm of Scott Darling.
Bailey's two-point night put the longest-tenured Islander back atop the Isles scoring lead (21 points), one point ahead of Mathew Barzal (20).
Adam Pelech effectively sealed it with his second goal of the season, finishing an odd-man rush with Anders Lee with a far-side snap shot at 8:52 of the third period.

GREISS GETS WIN IN SECOND CONSECUTIVE START:

When Thomas Greiss plays against the Carolina Hurricanes, he's as calm as the eye of a storm. Greiss made 26 saves for his sixth straight win over the Hurricanes. In his last four games against the Hurricanes, Greiss has stopped 154 of 157 shots (.980SV%). Greiss' shutout bid was ended by a Justin Williams power-play goal with 6:37 to play in the third period.
What made Greiss' performance more impressive is that the Islanders goalie was starting on consecutive nights, a relative rarity in today's NHL. Greiss made 39 saves in the Isles 4-3 OT win over New Jersey on Friday night.
"We needed momentum, this is a team that we're catching," Trotz said of his decision to play Greiss on back-to-back nights. "I felt that Greisser deserved the start today."

NEXT GAME:

The Islanders take on the defending Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals on Monday night at Barclays Center. Puck drop is at 7 p.m.