UNIONDALE, N.Y. — Nobody expected another high-scoring match.
But the Islanders and Capitals completely tightened things up on Tuesday night before a sell-out crowd of 1,400 at Nassau Coliseum after combining for 12 goals just five days earlier.
The Islanders’ Brock Nelson scored in the third period of an entertainingly intense, 1-0 win.
It allowed the Islanders (25-10-4), who won their third straight, to match the Capitals atop the East Division with 54 points.
Semyon Varlamov made 29 saves, including 10 in the third period, for his fourth shutout this season and the 31st of his career. An equally-brilliant Vitek Vanecek stopped 38 shots for the Capitals, who are 19-6-1 since Feb. 16.
The Islanders set a season-high for goals in an 8-4 win over the Capitals on Thursday to open this season-high, six-game homestand. That included Mathew Barzal, the NHL’s first star of the week, matching a career high with five points as he notched his third career hat trick.
In all, the teams play five times in 27 days this month in a possible playoff preview.
The top four teams in the East will qualify for the postseason. Finishing first will guarantee home-ice advantage for the first two rounds.
"You just look at the talent in our division and how competitive it is," Jordan Eberle said before the game. "It just gives you the extra edge if you know you have it all the way through. We’re all so familiar with these teams and the games are so tight if you can find a way to finish in first and get that edge as far as having more games at home, whatever helps you get to that end goal."
The Islanders improved to 16-1-2 at home.
"With our record at home, I would probably say it’d be a little bit of an advantage," coach Barry Trotz said. "You want to look for any advantage. This division is a bear. There’s not much separating a lot of the teams. It’d be a nice edge to have but it’s not the end-all, be-all. We’re playing a real good team a team, we’re fighting for first at this moment and a team you’re going to have to get out of this division against."
Nelson finally broke the stalemate as he got to the crease to clean up the rebound of defenseman Ryan Pulock’s shot from the right point at 13:05 of the third period. Vanecek then kept the Capitals within one as he stretched out his left leg to stop Barzal at the post at 15:40.
It was clear from the opening faceoff this game would be much tighter than Thursday’s offensive showcase.
Rookie Kieffer Bellows, who has struggled with his defensive play as he tries to establish a full-time role, skated back just two minutes in to knock the puck away from Alex Ovechkin just over the Islanders’ blue line. The Capitals then went from 3:59 to 14:06 of the first period without a shot.
The Islanders maintained pressure in the offensive zone but couldn’t score, though defenseman Noah Dobson hit the near post from the right point and Eberle hit the crossbar on the power play.
Eberle hit the crossbar a second time with a point-blank backhander at 17:48 of the second period. Varlamov made 12 second-period saves while Vanecek turned aside Anthony Beauvillier from the right circle at 5:49 after he was sprung up ice by defenseman Nick Leddy. Vanececk also closed his pads in time to deny Pulock from in tight at 12:41.
Varlamov started the third period by making a shoulder save on Carl Hagelin’s three-on-two attempt just 36 seconds in.
