The New York Islanders (22-20-7) dug deep. They won their fifth game in a row, closing out a very successful homestand with an emphatic third period against the Colorado Avalanche (29-21-2).

With a five-game winning streak and eight victories in their last 10 games, the Islanders are as confounding as ever.

Though Marcus Hogberg has been solid, coach Patrick Roy said Sorokin will be in net for the important game against Columbus at UBS.

Simon Holmstrom scored twice in the third period Tuesday night for the surging New York Islanders, who extended their season-best winning streak to five games with a 5-2 victory over the Colorado Avalanche in Elmont,

John Tortorella's Philadelphia Flyers (23-23-6) will play the latter game of a back-to-back as they host Patrick Roy's New York Islanders (22-20-7).

The New York Islanders and Philadelphia Flyers will square off for the third time in two weeks on Thursday night when they reconvene in Philadelphia.

On the same day that the club dealt for defenseman Scott Perunovich from the St. Louis Blues to help with depth, the New York Islanders placed defenseman Ryan Pulock and goaltender Marcus Hogberg on injured reserve on Monday due to upper-body injuries.

Following a 5-2 loss to the New York Islanders on Tuesday, the Avalanche return home with all kinds of issues that need to be sorted out. Their depth has struggled to produce, the inconsistencies on defense are glaring,

This is becoming the norm for the New York Islanders. For a third-straight season, they are overcoming an alarming stretch of play in the first half which should doom their playoff hopes, only to piece something together in the New Year and claw their way back into the postseason conversation.

NEW YORK (AP) — Simon Holmstrom scored twice and added an assist, and Ilya Sorokin made 30 saves to lead the New York Islanders to a 5-2 win over the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday night. Bo Horvat, Anders Lee and Alexander Romanov also scored for New York, which has won five-in-a-row.

Tage Thompson and JJ Peterka each recorded a hat trick and an assist to lead the Buffalo Sabres to a 7-2 win over the visiting Boston Bruins on Tuesday. Thompson scored in each period en route to his seventh career hat trick and first of the season,