NEW YORK, Dec. 21 (UPI) -- Michael Peca scored the go-ahead power-play goal late in the first period and Chris Osgood stopped 28 shots Friday night, helping the New York Islanders move into a first-place tie in the Atlantic Division with a 2-1 victory over the New York Rangers.
The Islanders avenged a 6-2 home loss on Nov. 8 and drew even with the Rangers atop the division with 43 points.
The Rangers had a chance to break a 1-1 tie when Radek Dvorak broke in alone on Osgood while killing a penalty with just over four minutes to go in the second period. But Dvorak shot off the crossbar and the Islanders counterattacked.
Peca carried down the left side and used defenseman Adrian Aucoin as a decoy before beating Mike Richter with a wrist shot from the faceoff circle. It was the eighth goal of the season for the Islanders' captain and became his third-game winner when Osgood turned aside all 12 shots in the third period.
Mats Lindgren also scored for the Isles, who have won two in a row following a 1-4-3-1 stretch.
Eric Lindros notched a power-play goal in his return to the lineup, but the Rangers had a three-game unbeaten streak snapped and fell to 2-5-1-1 in their last nine contests.
