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New York • Brock Nelson and Matt Martin scored 21 seconds apart in the second period and New York beat Ottawa 3-1 to snap a season-high four-game losing streak.
John Tavares also scored in the Islanders' three-goal second period and rookie goalie Jean-Francois Berube, making just his fourth career start, stopped 22 shots.
New York, holding the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, got a needed victory in its playoff push after going 1-4-2 in its previous seven games while getting outscored 22-11.
The Islanders pulled within one point of Pittsburgh for third place in the Metropolitan Division and moved four points ahead of Philadelphia and Detroit, who are tied for the East's second wild card.
Mark Stone scored and Andrew Hammond finished with 20 saves for Ottawa, which lost its second straight after winning three of four.
Rangers 5, Bruins 2 • In New York, Keith Yandle set up two first-period power-play goals and Henrik Lundqvist made 39 saves and New York beat Boston, sending the Bruins to a season-high fourth straight loss.
Mats Zuccarello, Derek Stepan, Derick Brassard, J.T. Miller and Rick Nash scored for New York, which won its second straight and inched closer to securing a spot in the playoffs with eight games left in the regular season.
Lee Stempniak, who had a first-period tally disallowed after an offside review and another shot gloved off the line by Lundqvist in the third period, scored for the Bruins along with Frank Vatrano. The Bruins have five goals in their skid.
The Bruins could not catch a break in this one, either with replays or officials. They gave the Rangers the first five man-power advantages, and New York converted on two of the first three in a game in which it was outshot 41-24.
Yandle was the key on both goals, making pinpoint passes to set up Zuccarello's 24th at 8:37 and Stepan's 17th a little more than three minutes later.
Vatrano, who was called up from AHL Providence on Tuesday, scored with less than eight minutes left. —
Standings
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Atlantic GP W L OT Pts GF GA
Tampa Bay 73 42 26 5 89 202 173
Florida 73 40 24 9 89 207 181
Boston 74 39 27 8 86 218 202
Detroit 73 36 26 11 83 186 196
Ottawa 75 34 33 8 76 214 230
Montreal 74 34 34 6 74 196 212
Buffalo 74 30 34 10 70 176 200
Toronto 72 26 35 11 63 174 209
Metropolitan GP W L OT Pts GF GA
z-Washington 72 52 15 5 109 231 170
N.Y. Rangers 74 42 24 8 92 212 194
Pittsburgh 72 40 24 8 88 204 179
N.Y. Islanders 72 39 24 9 87 200 182
Philadelphia 72 35 24 13 83 188 193
New Jersey 73 35 31 7 77 166 189
Carolina 73 31 28 14 76 177 198
Columbus 73 30 35 8 68 191 225
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Central GP W L OT Pts GF GA
x-Dallas 74 44 21 9 97 242 213
St. Louis 74 43 22 9 95 195 185
Chicago 74 42 25 7 91 205 185
Nashville 73 37 23 13 87 202 187
Minnesota 74 35 28 11 81 196 187
Colorado 73 38 31 4 80 198 204
Winnipeg 73 30 37 6 66 186 216
Pacific GP W L OT Pts GF GA
x-Los Angeles 73 44 24 5 93 199 167
Anaheim 72 40 23 9 89 185 168
San Jose 73 41 26 6 88 214 186
Arizona 73 32 34 7 71 192 219
Calgary 73 31 36 6 68 202 228
Vancouver 72 27 33 12 66 167 207
Edmonton 76 29 40 7 65 183 223
x-clinched playoff spot
z-clinched conference
Wednesday's games
N.Y. Islanders 3, Ottawa 1
N.Y. Rangers 5, Boston 2
Thursday's games
Florida at Boston, 5 p.m.
New Jersey at Pittsburgh, 5 p.m.
Carolina at Columbus, 5 p.m.
Anaheim at Toronto, 5:30 p.m.
Montreal at Detroit, 5:30 p.m.
Vancouver at Nashville, 6 p.m.
Calgary at Minnesota, 6 p.m.
Los Angeles at Winnipeg, 6 p.m.
Philadelphia at Colorado, 7 p.m.
Dallas at Arizona, 8 p.m.
Edmonton at San Jose, 8:30 p.m.