Isles follow the leader in third straight win
Tavares hat trick propels New York over Arizona at Barclays Center
John Tavares spends a lot of time in front of the net.
The Islanders’ team captain did so throughout the entirety of last season, but couldn’t manage a single goal via deflection or tip-in by his own recollection.
Those results changed drastically Tuesday night as Tavares completed his seventh career hat trick with — count ‘em — three redirected goals in New York’s 5-3 victory over Phoenix in front of a sparse but hearty crowd of 9,795 at Downtown’s Barclays Center.