The Islanders didn't come out strong, but they didn't wilt after giving up an early goal in front of a raucous crowd at the United Center in Chicago.
Instead, the Isles overwhelmed the Blackhawks in a 7-3 rout, led by Ryan Pulock setting a record for Islanders rookie defensemen with five points (goal, four assists). Anthony Beauvillier scored two more goals and Brock Nelson broke out of a long slump with three points on an overall solid rebound after two straight losses at home.
Nelson tucked in his first goal in 18 games to make it 5-2 at 1:52 of the third, capitalizing on a misplay by Hawks goaltender Anton Forsberg. Forsberg was promptly yanked after giving up too many rebounds while also being a bit left out to dry by his teammates.
Pulock got the second assist on that goal, giving him five points and the team's rookie mark. It was the first time an Islander defenseman had five points since Uwe Krupp did it on March 20, 1993.
Patrick Kane scored his second of the game at 4:58 off the rush, part of a three-point game for him, to cut it to 5-3 but the Islanders had the answers. John Tavares hit Anders Lee for a breakaway and backhand goal at 7:10 and Tavares netted his own at 10:30 to send Hawks fans to the exits.
Jaroslav Halak made 36 saves on a rare night when his teammates spent the bulk of the game in the opposite end. The Islanders put 45 shots on the two Hawks goaltenders and flexed their offensive muscles after scoring just three goals in their prior two games.
Beauvillier kept the Islanders ball rolling just 1:25 into the second period with his second power-play marker of the night.
Pulock fed Josh Bailey, who spotted Beauvillier all alone in front of the Hawks net. Beauvillier fumbled the initial pass, gathered it and tucked a backhand behind Forsberg for a 4-1 lead. It was Beauvillier's sixth goal in six games, giving him 10 for the season to mark a new career high.
That goal made the Islanders 2 for 3 on the power play after they were 2 for 32 in their previous 11 games.
Chicago gathered some steam and made the final few minutes of the second interesting, with Kane delivering a nice feed for Erik Gustafsson to beat Halak for Gustafsson's first NHL goal at 18:27. Johnston, the big Isles rookie in his second NHL game, lost Gustafsson behind him in the defensive zone.
This didn't look like it was going to be a strong Islanders performance from the outset. The Hawks grabbed the lead just 1:01 in when Gustafsson's soft cross-ice feed settled on Kane's stick and he snapped one past Halak to get the home crowd juiced up.
The Hawks were pressing for another one early when the Islanders got a good break _ Hawks captain Jonathan Toews buried Tanner Fritz in front of the Islander net to draw an interference penalty at 2:51 and the Islanders capitalized on their early chance.
Pulock, lined up in the off-wing circle for a one-timer, did just that and Forsberg left a juicy rebound, the first of many. Nelson had a whack and then Beauvillier got to the next rebound and put it through Forsberg's legs at 4:35 to tie the game.
From there, the Islanders had their legs. Another Pulock point shot deflected down to Jordan Eberle, who went backhand-forehand and slipped it past Forsberg at 10:31.
And Pulock took it himself in the closing minute of the first, snapping a wrister over Forsberg's shoulder at 19:04 for Pulock's third point of the game.
