~Tritt herein~ » The New York Islanders are dominating opponents

UNIONDALE Reilly Smith Jersey , N.Y. (AP) — The New York Islanders are dominating opponents with a smothering defense and timely scoring.They executed that winning formula to perfection on Sunday against the Anaheim Ducks.Cal Clutterbuck scored twice in the first period and Robin Lehner made 19 saves for his third shutout this season as the Islanders downed the Ducks 3-0 on Sunday for their fifth straight win.The victory was the 15th in 18 games for the Metropolitan Division-leading Islanders, who have surged past Washington and Columbus over the past month. The Islanders have one game remaining — Tuesday at Chicago — before the All-Star break.“We came out with a lot of energy. We work hard and frustrate the other team,” said Lehner, who continued his sterling comeback season, improving to 15-7-3. “You have to set the tone and there’s no reason to deviate now. We are playing our game.”Clutterbuck opened the scoring at 4:50 of the first with a power-play goal. The 31-year-old forward completed a slick passing sequence by whipping the puck from the slot past former Islanders goaltender Chad Johnson. It was the sixth straight game in which the Islanders scored first as they improved to 5-1-1 this season at their former full-time home, Nassau Coliseum.Josh Bailey and Anthony Beauviller assisted. Bailey moved past Bob Nystrom on the team’s all-time assist list with 279 and into a tie with Pat LaFontaine for 12th place. Bailey, who is tied with captain Anders Lee for second on the team in points with 37, has three goals and three assists in last seven games.Clutterbuck scored again from a nearly identical spot midway through the first for his sixth goal of the season.“There’s a lot of confidence in the way we are playing and it’s nice to get a couple,” Clutterbuck said. “It’s an affirmation that the style we have and the work we’ve been putting in is a winning structure.”Clutterbuck, in his sixth season with the Islanders, also scored in Friday’s 2-0 win at Washington Michael Ferland Jersey Womens , which moved the Islanders past the Capitals into the division lead. The Islanders are also 25-2-1 when scoring three or more goals this season.“It’s fun right now,” Clutterbuck said, “but there’s still a long way to go.”Leo Komarov scored his sixth this season with 29 seconds remaining in the second period.The Islanders are 12-2-0 since rookie defenseman Devon Toews, who assisted on Komarov’s goal, joined the lineup for the first time on Dec 23.Lehner, who leads the league with a 2.02 goals-against average, won for the 11th time his last 12 games. The 27-year-old Swede has been a revelation since he signed a one-year free-agent contract with the Islanders last summer after he was let go by the Buffalo Sabres.“The defense is just helping me out and working hard,” he said.The Islanders have allowed one goal or fewer 16 times this season, including each of their last four games. They have surrendered two goals or fewer in nine of their last 12.“The last three games have been amazing — Jersey, Washington, we have really suffocated them William Karlsson Jersey ,” Lehner said.The Islanders held the Capitals and Devils to less than 20 shots in their previous two wins, and then did it again against the Ducks, who came in with a two-game winning streak after losing their previous 12.“We did some good things but we didn’t do a lot of generating off the rush,” Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said. “We were trying to force things and we lacked execution.”NOTES: The Islanders scratched F Tom Kuhnhackl, F Ross Johnston and D Luca Sbisa. … Anaheim scratched Ds Michael Del Zotto and Andre Sustr and F Justin Kloos. … The Ducks won this season’s previous meeting, 4-1, on Oct. 17 at Anaheim.UP NEXTIslanders: Visit the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday night before the All-Star break.Ducks: Host the St. Louis Blues on Wednesday before the All-Star break. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Ryan Johansen and the Nashville Predators are off to a solid start this season.Scoring first has been a big key.Johansen and P.K. Subban each had two assists, and the Predators beat the Minnesota Wild 4-2 on Monday night for their fifth win in six games.“It’s early in the season, you’re trying to get your game in order,” Nashville coach Peter Laviolette said. “Hopefully just continue to get better.”Craig Smith Alex Ovechkin Jersey Kids , Mattias Ekholm, Filip Forsberg and Miikka Salomaki scored for Nashville, and Pekka Rinne finished with 29 saves.Minnesota lost for the fourth time in five games. Mikko Koivu had a goal and an assist for the Wild, and Matt Dumba also scored.“Our effort was fine, that looked like the team I’m used to coaching effort-wise,” Wild coach Bruce Boudreau said. “We made a couple of mistakes and when we did, against that team, it costs you.”After Smith and Dumba exchanged goals in the first period, Nashville opened a 3-1 lead in the second.As a penalty on Nashville’s Ryan Ellis was expiring, Johansen began an odd-man rush with Ekholm trailing. From the right faceoff dot, Johansen found Ekholm in the slot Braden Holtby Jersey , where he beat Alex Stalock with a wrist shot.Forsberg made it 3-1 at 12:02 of the second. Just inside the Predators’ blue line, Kyle Turris forced a turnover by Eric Staal. Turris then pivoted and found Forsberg at the other blue line with a perfect stretch pass, sending the Swede in on a breakaway for his fourth goal of the season.“As soon as I stepped on the ice, (Turris) got the puck and I just tried to make sure that he saw me,” Forsberg said. “He made a nice play and I was all alone.”Stalock finished with 24 saves in his first start of the season.Koivu’s first goal of the season at 15:03 of the second cut Nashville’s lead to 3-2. Rinne preserved the win by denying Nino Niederreiter on a breakaway with 2:41 remaining.“It goes both ways and they capitalized on their chances,” Koivu said. “We had some momentum, but it was a step in the right direction tonight.”Salomaki added an empty-net goal in the final seconds.Smith put Nashville in front 6:01 into the game. With a tripping minor on Minnesota’s Jonas Brodin in its final seconds, Smith collected the rebound of Subban’s wrist shot from the center of the blue line through traffic and put it past Stalock for his second of the season.“It was a good start,” Smith said. “Getting the first one is always nice.”Nashville has scored first in five of six games this season.Dumba evened the game at 13:29 on the power play. Koivu’s backhand pass from the right corner ricocheted off the stick of Nashville’s Nick Bonino and into the high slot. Coming down from the left point unchecked, Dumba stepped into a slap shot and beat Rinne high on the glove side.NOTES: Forsberg has four points in his last three games. … Nashville D Yannick Weber played his 400th NHL game. … Stalock is 0-4-0 in his career against Nashville.UP NEXTWild: Host Arizona on Tuesday.Predators: Visit Calgary on Friday.