- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,144,272
- Reaction score
- 59
Simon Holmstrom scored at 1:48 of overtime to give the New York Islanders a 4-3 victory over the Blue Jackets, who've dropped two games in a row coming out of the NHL's lengthy break for the 2026 Winter Olympics.
More: Zach Werenski gives Columbus Blue Jackets ice time conundrum
Getting the puck and carrying it up the right wing, Holmstrom cut inside a defender, across the goal mouth and tucked the puck inside the left post to give the Islanders a huge victory that moved them to seven points ahead of the Blue Jackets for third in the Metropolitan Division.
]Isac Lundestrom, Mason Marchment and Adam Fantilli scored goals in regulation for the Blue Jackets (29-21-8), who got 22 saves from goalie Jet Greaves. Anders Lees, Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Scott Mayfield scored the first three goals for the Islanders (34-21-5), who started Ilya Sorokin (27 saves).
Prior to the game, Werenski received an ovation for helping the United States defeat Canada to win the gold medal in men's hockey at the Milano Ciortina 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy. Blue Jackets goalie Elvis Merzlikins, who played for Latvia, was also recognized along with Islanders Olympians Bo Horvat (Canada) and Ondrej Palat (Czechia).
Lundestrom put the Jackets up 1-0 just 2:30 into the game when a puck shot by Dante Fabbro deflected off his leg and into the Islanders' net without him even realizing what happened until the goal horn sounded. That was the lone goal of the first period.
Marchment made it 2-0 at 3:58 of the second on his 14th goal of the season, which extended Werenski's point streak to nine straight games with an assist. The Blue Jackets nearly made it 3-0 on back-to-back shifts spent buzzing around New York's zone, but they couldn't beat Sorokin and allowed the Islanders to climb back into the game.
Lee cut it to 2-1 with a goal from the net-front with 8:23 left in the second, Pageau tied it 22 seconds later and the Islanders then took a 3-2 lead on Mayfield's goal with 2:50 left in the period. The go-ahead goal was scored after Greaves stopped Mayfield's shot with a pad save and sent the puck off Werenski's leg and back into the Blue Jackets' net.
It was a giant shift in momentum that could've led to the Islanders breaking the game open, but Werenski and Fantilli combined for a tying goal that made it 3-3 with 1:02 left. Fantilli won a faceoff at the left circle inside the islanders' zone, Werenski scooped the puck and wheeled to fire a shot that skipped off Fantilli's back side and went into the net for his 15th goal.
The overtime loss drops the Blue Jackets seven points back of the Islanders for the third place in the Metropolitan Division, which has a guaranteed playoff spot attached to it. The Jackets gained a point on the Boston Bruins in the race for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference after the Philadelphia Flyers defeated the Bruins in regulation on Feb. 28.
Columbus stayed one point ahead of Philadelphia with the overtime point.
Blue Jackets reporter Brian Hedger can be reached at [email protected] and @BrianHedger.bsky.social
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: New York Islanders deflate Columbus Blue Jackets in overtime
Continue reading...
More: Zach Werenski gives Columbus Blue Jackets ice time conundrum
Getting the puck and carrying it up the right wing, Holmstrom cut inside a defender, across the goal mouth and tucked the puck inside the left post to give the Islanders a huge victory that moved them to seven points ahead of the Blue Jackets for third in the Metropolitan Division.
]Isac Lundestrom, Mason Marchment and Adam Fantilli scored goals in regulation for the Blue Jackets (29-21-8), who got 22 saves from goalie Jet Greaves. Anders Lees, Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Scott Mayfield scored the first three goals for the Islanders (34-21-5), who started Ilya Sorokin (27 saves).
Prior to the game, Werenski received an ovation for helping the United States defeat Canada to win the gold medal in men's hockey at the Milano Ciortina 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy. Blue Jackets goalie Elvis Merzlikins, who played for Latvia, was also recognized along with Islanders Olympians Bo Horvat (Canada) and Ondrej Palat (Czechia).
Lundestrom put the Jackets up 1-0 just 2:30 into the game when a puck shot by Dante Fabbro deflected off his leg and into the Islanders' net without him even realizing what happened until the goal horn sounded. That was the lone goal of the first period.
Marchment made it 2-0 at 3:58 of the second on his 14th goal of the season, which extended Werenski's point streak to nine straight games with an assist. The Blue Jackets nearly made it 3-0 on back-to-back shifts spent buzzing around New York's zone, but they couldn't beat Sorokin and allowed the Islanders to climb back into the game.
You must be registered for see images attach
Lee cut it to 2-1 with a goal from the net-front with 8:23 left in the second, Pageau tied it 22 seconds later and the Islanders then took a 3-2 lead on Mayfield's goal with 2:50 left in the period. The go-ahead goal was scored after Greaves stopped Mayfield's shot with a pad save and sent the puck off Werenski's leg and back into the Blue Jackets' net.
It was a giant shift in momentum that could've led to the Islanders breaking the game open, but Werenski and Fantilli combined for a tying goal that made it 3-3 with 1:02 left. Fantilli won a faceoff at the left circle inside the islanders' zone, Werenski scooped the puck and wheeled to fire a shot that skipped off Fantilli's back side and went into the net for his 15th goal.
You must be registered for see images attach
Columbus Blue Jackets playoff picture
The overtime loss drops the Blue Jackets seven points back of the Islanders for the third place in the Metropolitan Division, which has a guaranteed playoff spot attached to it. The Jackets gained a point on the Boston Bruins in the race for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference after the Philadelphia Flyers defeated the Bruins in regulation on Feb. 28.
Columbus stayed one point ahead of Philadelphia with the overtime point.
Blue Jackets reporter Brian Hedger can be reached at [email protected] and @BrianHedger.bsky.social
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: New York Islanders deflate Columbus Blue Jackets in overtime
Continue reading...
