In Elmont, the New York Islanders trailed the visiting Chicago Blackhawks, 1-0 entering the third period. 
The Isles rallied with a pair of goals in the front of the period to take a 2-1 lead they protected for the win.
“I was very proud of the way we came out,” New York coach Patrick Roy said. “We had a lot of chances at the beginning of the game and we could not score, but we didn’t change our game. We played the same way, we stayed with the plan, and even in the second we had a lot of chances. … And then in the third it came through. I mean, it was an important game for us. And we all knew it.”
Ilya Sorokin made 18 saves in the win.
The Islanders improved to 33-27-15 off their third win in four matches.
Jason Dickinson staked the Hawks to a 1-0 lead at 7:49 of the opening stanza scoring off an odd man rush.
The Blackhawks dropped to 22-48-5.
“I thought we got the start we wanted. We played fairly solid,” Chicago coach Luke Richardson said. “I would like to have seen us get a little more drive to that net, more shots to the net tonight. When we did, they were pretty effective. Unfortunately, they got a bounce on that second goal … and we didn’t get it at the end to tie it.”
In the third period, Bo Horvat scored his 31st of the campaign at 1:33, hitting off a power play scoring off a pass from Mathew Barzal at the right circle. 
“They played a good game tonight, and we faced a tough challenge of a good goaltender,” Horvat said. “We had to mentally grind through it. It definitely helps (our confidence), but we have a lot of work to do here. I mean, we’re chasing and we got to keep winning hockey games here in order to get in.”
New York took the lead on a marker from Simon Holmstrom at 9:25, scoring after corralling an erratic puck in the slot.
“[Anders] Lee just threw it in there and I was just trying to find it,” Holmstrom said. “I found an open lane and it luckily went in.”
Petr Mrazek made 27 saves in the loss.
“It seemed like we were throwing everything at [Mrazek] and getting a lot of chances. It was just a matter of time before it was going to go in,” Horvat said. “Sometimes, in those kind of games, you feel like you’re never going to score, so it was a big, big goal. I told [Barzal] on the bench, ‘I can’t believe you opted to go to your backhand there.’”
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