Islanders Slow Down Avalanche

Dave Scatchard and Garth Snow teamed to give the New York Islanders another big win, and the Colorado Avalanche a very rare loss.

Scatchard scored two goals, and Snow made 25 saves, and the surging Islanders handed the Avalanche their first regulation defeat in 15 games with a 4-1 victory Friday night at Uniondale, N.Y.

The Avalanche was 11-0-2-1 in its previous 14 games and had scored the first goal in each one, four shy of the NHL record, but the Islanders continued the fine play they showed on their recent road trip and snapped both streaks.

“It’s huge,” Scatchard said. “We didn’t want to be another notch on their belt.”

Scatchard scored 2:28 into the game for the Islanders, who played their first home game since Feb. 11. They returned to Nassau Coliseum after a productive 2-1-1 swing through the Western Conference.

Dallas 2, Phoenix 2 -- Jason Arnott broke the Stars’ power-play drought with 6:27 left in regulation to lift the home team into a tie at Dallas. Arnott ended his team’s 0-for-35 power-play slump, getting his 14th goal of the season.

San Jose 6, Columbus 0 -- Marco Sturm scored two goals in a three-minute span of the second period at San Jose and the Sharks ended a three-game losing streak. Evgeni Nabokov stopped 29 shots for his third shutout of the season.

Tampa Bay 2, Carolina 2 -- Jeff O’Neill scored his team-leading 24th goal midway through the third period at Raleigh, N.C., and the Hurricanes spoiled the Lightning’s bid for a share of the Southeast Division lead.

New Jersey 3, Boston 2 -- Jeff Friesen scored on a 40-foot bad-angle shot that goaltender Jeff Hackett missed with 6:27 to play and the Devils rallied to win at East Rutherford, N.J. The Bruins fell to 1-4-1 on their seven-game road trip.