NEW YORK -- The New York Islanders are finally rounding into form -- just in time to welcome their biggest rival into their new home for the first time.

Fourth-line right winger Cal Clutterbuck scored the tie-breaking goal 1:52 into the third period Monday and fourth-line center Casey Cizikas' unassisted goal less than seven minutes later proved to be the game-winner as the Islanders beat the Colorado Avalanche 5-3 at Barclays Center.

The Islanders (13-8-4) have won three of their last four games (3-0-1) to jump from ninth place in the Eastern Conference to fourth place. In the process, New York has also taken over sole possession of third place in the Metropolitan Division.

The Islanders lost eight of 12 (4-6-2) prior to their current run. Of their first 11 losses overall, six were by one goal.

"I don't think we hit our stride the way that we can play," Islanders head coach Jack Capuano said. "We've lost some games early I know we should have won. I think it all averages itself out."

With the win Monday, the Islanders remained six points behind the Metro-leading New York Rangers, who make their first visit to Barclays Center on Wednesday night. Capuano expects the type of energized scene Wednesday that was commonplace during Islanders-Rangers games at Nassau Coliseum the previous 42 seasons.

"I think this will probably be the loudest the building has been up until this point, for sure," Capuano said. "It'll be a great experience every time we play. But being in a new facility, first Islanders-Rangers game, fans from both sides will be into it. Both teams will go at it business as usual."

Even if there might be a few more Rangers fans there were out in Nassau County. Barclays Center is a couple of subway and train station stops from Manhattan.

"It's a close trip for the Rangers fans," Clutterbuck said. "So we'll see."

The fourth line of Clutterbuck, Cizikas and left winger Matt Martin helped ensure the Islanders would head into the rivalry game on a positive note. Cizikas won a faceoff deep in the Avalanche zone moments before Clutterbuck gave the Islanders the lead for good when he redirected a shot by defenseman Thomas Hickey.

Martin helped create a turnover less than seven minutes later that resulted in Cizikas' goal. Avalanche Zach Redmond was trying to get to the puck in the Avalanche zone and clear it, but Martin hit him as Redmond fired the puck and Cizikas picked it off and fired a shot past Avalanche goalie Semyon Varlamov at the 8:16 mark.

"They have four good lines," Avalanche coach Patrick Roy said. "It's a team with a lot of depth. It's a good hockey club."

The Islanders are now 8-3 when a member of their fourth line scores. Cizikas and Clutterbuck each have three goals that either broke a tie or stood as the game-winner.

"That's the last thing on my mind — I think that's the last thing on all three of our minds as a line," Cizikas said of scoring. "We want to be sound defensively. We want to be the hardest-working line out there."

Right winger Kyle Okposo scored with 1.4 seconds left in the first for the Islanders while center Mikhail Grabovski scored in the second for the Islanders. Center Ryan Strome added an empty-netter with 47.9 seconds left.

"It's hard to win if you're giving four goals on the road," Roy said.

Goalie Thomas Greiss made 25 saves for the Islanders.

Left winger Blake Comeau gave the Avalanche a 1-0 lead in the first and right winger Jarome Iginla tied the score at 2-2 just 41 seconds after Grabovski's goal. It was the 597th career goal for Iginla.

Varlamov recorded 23 saves for the Avalanche (9-14-1), which has lost five of seven (2-5-0). Colorado began a four-game road trip Monday that will end a 13-game stretch in which it played just two home games.

NOTES: The Islanders scratched RW Steve Bernier and D Brian Strait. ... Islanders LW Josh Bailey played in his 500th NHL game. ... Islanders G Thomas Greiss started a second consecutive game for the third time this season. He has started four of the past six games overall. ... The Avalanche scratched C John Mitchell, who has missed 11 of the past 13 games due to an oblique injury, as well as D Nate Guenin. ... Avalanche C Matt Duchene started despite missing the morning skate due to illness. ... The Avalanche entered Monday with 19 points in 23 games, the franchise's fewest through 23 games since the Quebec Nordiques had 12 points (5-10-2) in 1991-92.