UNIONDALE, N.Y. (AP) – Martin Straka beat Rick DiPietro on a penalty shot and Kevin Weekes made 23 saves for his first victory in nearly eight weeks in the New York Rangers’ 5-2 victory over the New York Islanders on Thursday night.

Straka fired a wrist shot under DiPietro’s left arm to give the Rangers a 4-0 lead midway through the second period. The Czech forward was awarded the penalty shot after defenseman Joel Bouchard grabbed him from behind on a breakaway.

Weekes, making his first start in eight games and second in the last 17, improved to 9-8-2 with his first victory since Dec. 10 in St. Louis.

Straka also had two assists, Jaromir Jagr and Steve Rucchin each had a goal and an assist and Fedor Tyutin and Martin Rucinsky added power-play goals to help the Rangers tie Philadelphia for the Atlantic Division lead. Jagr raised his NHL-leading scoring total to 78 with his 34th goal of the season.

Coming off a 3-1 home victory over Pittsburgh on Wednesday night, the Rangers snapped the Islanders’ winning streak at three with their third straight victory in the series. The Islanders, 21 points behind the Rangers in the standings, are 5-4-1 since interim coach Brad Shaw replaced John Stirling.

Mark Parrish scored twice for the Islanders in the third period, beating Weekes on a power play at 3:14 and on an even-strength tip at 9:19. Jagr had the lone goal for the Rangers in the third, connecting with 3:09 left off a nice passing play with linemates Michael Nylander and Straka.

Weekes, stuck behind Rangers rookie star Henrik Lundqvist in the lineup, didn’t face a shot in the first 10:57 and needed to make only four saves in the opening period. In the Islanders’ 5-4 home victory over the Rangers on Oct. 19, the 30-year-old Weekes allowed goals on the first three shots he faced.

Tyutin and Rucchin scored power-play goals late in the first period, and Rucinsky made it 3-0 with an even-strength goal 2:16 in the second period.

Tyutin opened the scoring with 6:25 left. With DiPietro scrambling to get back in front of the goal after sprawling to the side to stop Straka’s shot, Tyutin gained control in the high slot and fired a shot into the empty net.

Rucchin made it 2-0 with 32 seconds left. Unchecked in the slot, Rucchin easily chipped the puck past DiPietro off Tom Poti’s hard pass from the point.

Rucinsky scored off a rebound to give the Rangers a three-goal lead early in the second.

The Rangers’ Colton Orr bloodied Eric Godard’s nose in a long fight midway through the first period. They started throwing punches moments after returning to the ice following roughing penalties. Orr was in the Rangers’ lineup for the first time since Dec. 28, also against the Islanders at Nassau Coliseum.

Notes: Islanders center Kevin Colley had surgery on his broken neck Thursday and will be operated on again next week. He broke the fifth cervical vertebrae in his neck Tuesday night against Washington when his head slammed into the boards. The team recalled Jeremy Colliton from Bridgeport of the AHL on Wednesday to fill in for Colley. … Straka is 3-for-7 on penalty shots in his career. … Islanders defenseman Alexei Zhitnik missed the game because of an ankle injury. John Erskine took Zhitnik’s lineup spot against the Rangers. … Parrish has 21 goals, 12 on the power play.

AP-ES-02-02-06 2140EST