DALLAS — The Islanders lost Tuesday night, but they still moved ahead of the Rangers for the best record in the Metropolitan Division.
Cody Eakin scored 2:18 into overtime and the Stars beat the Islanders 3-2 to snap a six-game losing streak.
Eakin took a pass from Jamie Benn on a 2-on-1 break and beat goalie Jaroslav Halak. The goal gave the Stars their first overtime victory in eight games this season.
Anders Lee had tied it for the Islanders with 2 seconds remaining in regulation when his shot from the left-wing boards hit defender Jordie Benn’s skate and eluded goalie Kari Lehtonen.
Halak stopped 32 shots but the Islanders lost their second consecutive game. They lead the Metropolitan Division by one point over the rival Rangers, though the Blueshirts have three games in hand.
“Even if we didn’t get the break with 1-point-whatever seconds left, we deserved the point,” Islanders coach Jack Capuano said. “We played hard. It’s a good point for us here against a good team.”
Josh Bailey scored for the Islanders in the first period.
Brett Ritchie and Vernon Fiddler scored on third-period rebounds as Dallas rallied for a 2-1 lead. Lehtonen made 35 saves for the Stars, who were 0-4-2 in their previous six games.
Halak stopped 32 shots, but the Islanders lost their second consecutive game. They lead the division by one point, though the Rangers have three games in hand.
The Islanders killed off a 5-minute power play following Matt Martin’s major penalty and game misconduct at 1:48 for kneeing Dallas’ Trevor Daley, who left the ice and did not return.
Bailey scored at 15:25 of the first period. Brock Nelson, left alone behind the net near the left corner, passed across to Ryan Strome, unattended on the right side. He passed out front to Bailey, who shot across Lehtonen’s body into the upper left of the net.
The Islanders outshot the Stars 18-9 in the first.
Lehtonen stopped Bailey on a close-in attempt during the second period, and again on a backhand in the third.
Dallas outshot the Islanders 13-9 in the second.
There was so much pressure on Halak that the Islanders took two delay-of-game penalties in the final 6 minutes, and successfully killed both.
The Stars’ push continued into the third period. They tied the game 1-all at 2:24 when Ritchie put in the rebound of Jyrki Jokipakka’s shot off Halak’s pads.
Fiddler scored at 7:28. Ryan Garbutt’s shot from the high slot hit the glass behind the net and bounced out on the left side. Fiddler put the puck behind Halak.
Neither team scored on the power play. Dallas was 0 for 5, and the Isles were 0 for 3.