ELMONT, N.Y. — The Islanders are playing consistent hockey. More importantly, winning hockey.
But they may not play again for another 11 days.
The Islanders beat the Oilers, 3-2, in overtime on Saturday afternoon at UBS Arena as defenseman Noah Dobson’s wrist shot at 3:52 of the extra period was the winner. It was Dobson’s first career overtime goal.
The last-place Islanders (10-12-6) are now 5-2-4 since Dec. 2 and finally won past regulation in their seventh try.
Ilya Sorokin made 17 saves for the Islanders as they held the Oilers (18-12-2) to just two shots after the second period. Mikko Koskinen stopped 26 shots.
The Islanders played with associate coach Lane Lambert running their bench, assisted by Jim Hiller. Barry Trotz was absent for non-COVID-19 personal reasons while assistant coach John Gruden and goalie coach Piero Greco were both placed into COVID-19 protocol.
Second-line center Brock Nelson and defenseman Sebastian Aho also remain in COVID-19 protocol for the Islanders.
The Islanders are now not scheduled to play again until hosting the Devils on Jan. 13. A four-game road trip to Seattle, Vancouver, Edmonton and Calgary starting Tuesday and going through Jan. 11 was postponed on Friday because attendance has been limited in Canada because of the COVID-19 outbreak and the NHL opted not to send the Islanders cross-country to play just a lone game against the expansion Kraken.
Anthony Beauvillier, who missed the Islanders’ 4-1 win over the visiting Sabres on Thursday night while in COVID-19 protocol, tied it at 2 at 2:23 of the third period as he lifted a forehand shot at the left post.
The Oilers, who lost 6-5 in overtime at New Jersey on Friday, had their skid worsen to 2-7-2. They were without playmaker Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who exited in the third period against the Devils with an unspecified issue.
The Oilers outskated the Islanders through their two-goal second period. Leon Draisaitl — with his NHL-leading 25th goal in his 32nd game — tied it at 1 just 31 seconds in as he fed the crease from the left with the puck deflecting in off Matt Martin’s skate.
Colton Sceviour hit the post at 1:42 and defenseman Duncan Keith hit the crossbar at 5:23 before defenseman Darnell Nurse gave the Oilers a 2-1 lead at 17:13 of the second period. Connor McDavid, who leads the NHL with 53 points, created chances as he buzzed the Islanders’ crease and Nurse finally knocked in a loose puck from the slot.
The Islanders took a 1-0 lead on Anders Lee’s power-play goal at 16:40 of the first period as the captain took Kieffer Bellows’ feed to the crease and potted a backhander for his sixth goal in his last eight games, including three on the man advantage. Lee also extended his point streak to five games (three goals, two assists).
The once-anemic Islanders’ power play is now a dangerous 9 for 26 since Dec. 4 and has produced at least one goal in four straight games for the first time since October 2018, per team statistician Eric Hornick.
