Trotz gets win against Capitals in return with Islanders

WASHINGTON -- Barry Trotz won his first game back in Washington when the New York Islanders scored twice in the third period to defeat the Washington Capitals 2-0 at Capital One Arena on Friday.

Thomas Greiss made 19 saves for his second shutout of the season, and Josh Bailey and Cal Clutterbuck scored for New York (28-15-4), which has won four straight and 14 of 17 games to move into first place in the Metropolitan Division ahead of Washington and the Columbus Blue Jackets. Defenseman Adam Pelech had two assists.
"I thought we had to play a real on-top-of-you type of game," Trotz said. "We tried to stall them out a little bit. They've got a lot of offense over there and they can light you up pretty quick, so I thought we played disciplined, we played with structure and had a lot of commitment and battle."
WATCH: [All Islanders vs. Capitals highlights | RELATED: Trotz gets emotional in return to Washington]
Trotz coached the Capitals to the Stanley Cup last season before resigning June 18. He was hired by the Islanders three days later.
Braden Holtby made 23 saves for Washington (27-15-5), which has lost four straight games for the first time since March 6-12, 2017. The Capitals have been outscored 15-4 during the losing streak.

"We're not generating enough offense," Capitals coach Todd Reirden said. "We were better at not giving up quite as many chances tonight, but yet they were able to convert on the ones that they got. We need to be better."
Holtby played his first game since he was poked in the eye by Blue Jackets forward Cam Atkinson's stick during the second period of a 2-1 overtime loss Jan. 12.

New York, which defeated the New Jersey Devils 4-1 on Thursday, improved to 7-0-0 in the second game of back-to-backs.
"I think it's just not chasing the game and not falling behind. I think we've done a pretty good job of starting quick," Clutterbuck said. "And even today when we didn't get a chance to put one by [Holtby], we kind of stuck with it and I think it frustrated them a little bit."
The Islanders took a 1-0 lead when Bailey redirected Mathew Barzal's shot past Holtby at 5:08 of the third.
"I just went to the net. [Barzal] made a great move, great play," Bailey said. "I just tried to get there. He put it in the right spot, and I just got a piece of it."

Clutterbuck made it 2-0 with a wrist shot from the left circle on a 2-on-0 rush at 7:34.
"I think they outworked us," Washington center Nicklas Backstrom said. "Third period, we should be able to come out a little harder than we did."
New York has allowed two goals or fewer in eight of its past 11 games.

They said it

"It was good. My heart got full of all the good memories. I was looking up there. I was trying not to look too much because I was getting pretty close to that sensitive side of myself. But it was extremely well done, and it was just great memories, and everybody was a part of something special." -- Islanders coach Barry Trotz on the video tribute he received from the Capitals during the first TV timeout for his first game back in Washington

"The message has been, 'Let's just keep climbing.' We're playing good hockey. I think we're playing well defensively, obviously, and we've got some pretty good patience. We're playing the right way right now, and we want to keep getting better." -- Islanders forward Cal Clutterbuck
"Obviously, we're not where we want to be right now, but it's not far off. We know what we have to do to be successful. I think tonight will help us because we played a team that is playing the right style of hockey and the way we want to play and the way we have played in the past to have a lot of success." -- Capitals goalie Braden Holtby

Need to know

Trotz was 205-89-34 and made the Stanley Cup Playoffs in all four seasons with the Capitals. … Barzal has 17 points (nine goals, eight assists) in his past 14 games.

What's next

Islanders:Host the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday (Nassau Coliseum; 3 p.m. ET; SN1, SNE, SNO, SNP, MSG+, PRIME, NHL.TV)
Capitals: At the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday (12:30 p.m. ET; NBC, TVAS)