Moulson Scores Four As Islanders Down Stars

DALLAS (AP) — Matt Moulson scored a career-high four goals to help the New York Islanders beat the Dallas Stars 5-4 on Saturday night.

The left winger scored twice in the wild, seven-goal second period, giving the Islanders a 5-4 edge off a 3-on-2 break with 2:50 left with his team-high 13th goal of the season.

John Tavares and P.A. Parenteau each had three assists and Dylan Reese added his first goal of the season for the Islanders, 3-0-1 in their last four games.

Islanders goalie Rick DiPietro left after two periods because of a groin injury, and replacement Al Montoya stopped all 13 shots he faced in the third period.

Eric Nystrom, the son of former Islanders great Bobby Nystrom, connected for Dallas, giving him 10 goals in his last 16 games. Tomas Vincour, Jake Dowell and Tom Wandell had their first goals of the season for the Stars.

Moulson shoveled a power-play rebound of Taveras' shot past goalie Andrew Raycroft at 8:55 of the opening period, then gave New York a two-goal pad at 10:54 of the first period after the puck bounced off the end boards on a shot by Tavares and onto Moulson's stick.

Reese made it 3-0 at 2:48 of the second period on a shot-pass from center point that fluttered past Raycroft's glove.

Dallas rallied with three goals in a 2:03 span to draw even.

Vincour's deflection at 3:27 got the Stars on the board, and Nystrom struck from in front of the net at 4:53 to make it a one-goal game.

Dowell tied it at 5:30, but Moulson completed his hat trick 27 seconds later to put the Islanders back in front.

Wandell beat DiPietro with a 40-foot slap shot with 3:52 to go in the period to pull Dallas even at 4.

The Isles began the night averaging 2.04 goals per game, last in the NHL. New York had been shut out three times in its previous seven games.

But the Islanders have picked up the pace with nine goals in their last two games.

NOTES: A Dallas opponent hadn't scored four goals in a game since Keith Tkachuk for Winnipeg on March 26, 1996, an 8-2 loss for the Stars. ... Raycroft made his third consecutive start while regular Kari Lehtonen recovers from a groin injury. ... Out for the Stars were LW Brenden Morrow (multiple injuries), D Alex Goligoski (broken thumb), D Trevor Daley (back) and forward Adam Burish (broken hand). ... Dallas was 13-4-1 in its previous 18 games against the Islanders. ... G Evgeni Nabokov (groin), D Mark Eaton (knee), D Andrew McDonald (leg) and RW Jay Pandolfo (foot) were out for the Isles.