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Islanders edge Wild on Toews’ second-period goal

NEW YORK — Devon Toews scored the decisive goal early in the second period Sunday afternoon, Feb. 10, and the New York Islanders continued their remarkable performance in the second game of back-to-back sets by edging the visiting Minnesota Wild, 2-1.

Anthony Beauvillier scored in the first period for the Islanders, who have won three straight and are now 9-0-0 in the second game of back-to-back sets this year. New York, which has outscored the opposition 33-9 in those second games, beat the Colorado Avalanche, 4-3, in overtime on Saturday.

Goalie Thomas Greiss made 26 saves for the Islanders.

Mikael Granlund scored in the second period for the Wild, who have lost five of six (1-3-2). Goalie Devan Dubnyk recorded 32 saves.

The Islanders took the lead following a protracted battle for the puck near center ice late in the first period. New York center Leo Komarov finally wrested the puck free from Wild left winger Jason Zucker and passed to Valtteri Filppula, who then hit a streaking Beauvillier for a breakaway chance. Beauvillier converted by firing a shot under Dubnyk’s glove with 5:55 left.

The teams traded goals in an 83-second span early in the second.

A redirect opportunity by Zach Parise began a flurry that ended with Granlund scoring the tying goal 38 seconds after faceoff. Parise, stationed in front of Greiss, could not get Ryan Suter’s shot past Greiss, but the puck skittered to Jason Zucker. With Greiss positioned to try and handle a shot by Zucker, the Minnesota left winger instead passed across the crease to Granlund, who fired a shot into the wide-open corner of the net.

Wild defenseman Anthony Bitetto was whistled for holding 50 seconds later to set up the game-winning power play goal. Ryan Pulock passed to Toews, who stood atop the faceoff circle and waited for Beauvillier to hold off Minnesota forward Marcus Foligno just long enough to give Toews an open lane for his shot, which sailed past Dubnyk’s stick.

The Wild outshot the Islanders 12-9 in the third period but could not score the equalizer.

Minnesota’s best chance came with a little more than a minute left, when New York defenseman Johnny Boychuk and center Anders Lee, both of whom were in the crease, blocked shots by Eric Staal and Suter, respectively.

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