COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Columbus Blue Jackets defeated the New York Islanders 6-4 Thursday night at Nationwide Arena. Columbus was coming of a 7-2 loss at the hands of the Edmonton Oilers and the Islanders were coming off a 5-2 loss at the hands of the Dallas Stars. The Islanders, with 37 points needed a win to go up in the standings and tie the Blue Jackets who had 39 points.
“It was a bit of a track meet tonight, both teams,” said Columbus coach John Tortorella, whose team reached the 20-win mark 32 games into the regular season (20-11-1). “[The Islanders] can score. That’s a good team, so you have to give them a little credit … I just like the way we didn’t lose our composure when we gave the goals back, and just kept on trying to play.”
Right from the beginning of the first period, Columbus turned the Islander net into target practice shooting 16 shots on goal versus the Islanders 4 shots on net. Columbus drew first blood with a goal by Zach Werenski with a centering pass from Artemi Panarin at 3:57 in the first period. Markus Nutivaara scored his second goal of the season off of a rebound shot by Alexnder Wennberg and an assist going to Oliver Bjorkstrand. At 14:49 Islanders center Brock Nelson was sent to the sin bin for tripping Nutivaara. This set up a power play goal scored by Pierre-Luc Dubois, assisted by Werenski and Panarin. When the horn sounded it was 3-0 Columbus.
December 14, 2017: Columbus Blue Jackets goalie Sergei Bobrovsky (72) watches the play gainst the New York Islanders in Columbus, Ohio. Brent Clark/Pro Hockey News
If the Islanders looked dead in the first period they were resurrected in the second. The armwrestling match between the Jackets and the Islanders had begun. Right winger Josh Bailey started the scoring for the Islanders while weaving into the slot after a pass from John Tavares at 5:00. This would be Bailey’s first goal of the night. Islanders center Casey Cizikas would make it 3-2 off of a rebound shot by defenseman Scott Mayfield with the set up going to defenseman Calvin de Haan at 7:49. Bailey would tie the game at 3-3 with a pass from behind the net form Tavares with the other assist going to Anders Lee at 13:52. This was Bailey’s second goal of the night. The Jackets would not go quiet without answering back. Jackets defenseman Seth Jones would wrist one in from the slot from a pass by Cam Atkinson and the set up going to Bjorkstrand at 15:03.
“It’s a big goal to go down 4-3 after we had all that momentum,” Islander’s head coach Doug Weight said of the Jones goal. “It’s extremely frustrating. There’s nothing worse, you battle, scratch and claw and then the guys are dog tired. It’s a shame.””It’s a big goal to go down 4-3 after we had all that momentum,” head coach Doug Weight said of the Jones goal. “It’s extremely frustrating. There’s nothing worse, you battle, scratch and claw and then the guys are dog tired. It’s a shame.””It’s a big goal to go down 4-3 after we had all that momentum,” head coach Doug Weight said of the Jones goal. “It’s extremely frustrating. There’s nothing worse, you battle, scratch and claw and then the guys are dog tired. It’s a shame.”
Jacket’s captain Nick Foligno would cut through the slot, catch a pass from Bjorkstrand and make it Columbus 5-3 at 17:52 after a delayed call. The other assist would go to Wennberg. The hard fought game was not finished yet.
The third period began and Bailey would score his first hat trick right off the face off from Tavares making it 5-4.
“It’s obviously nice to get one, but they are a lot sweeter when you win,” Bailey said. “It’s tough to come back and win hockey games when you’re down that much. We battled, found a way to get our legs going, compete the rest of the way and make it close, but it’s frustrating the way we let it get away.”
Columbus would put the icing on the cake with an open net goal by Josh Anderson who sealed the deal at 6-4 unassisted at 19:59 in the third period.
“The way it went, you know, giving up the three and then we score two, and then they get their fourth one pretty early on there [in the third], I thought we handled ourselves well. That’s a good win for us coming off a bit of a nightmare the game before.” Said Tortorella.
The Jackets go to Carolina to face the Hurricanes on Saturday and the Islanders face the Kings at home.
December 14, 2017: New York Islanders defenseman Nick Lidy (2) passes the puch as Columbus Blue Jackets right wing Josh Anderrson (77) tries to poke check it away in Columbus, Ohio. Brent Clark/Pro Hockey News
December 14, 2017: New York Islanders center John Tavares (91) prepares to face off against the Columbus Blue Jackets in Columbus, Ohio. Brent Clark/Pro Hockey News
December 14, 2017: Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman David Savard (58) carries the puck against the New York Islnders in Columbus, Ohio. Brent Clark/Pro Hockey News
December 14, 2017: New York Islanders defenseman Ryan Pulock (6) takes a shot on net against the Columbus Blue Jackets in Columbus, Ohio. Brent Clark/Pro Hockey News
December 14, 2017: Columbus Blue Jackets goalie Sergei Bobrovsky (72) makes the save against the New York Islanders in Columbus, Ohio. Brent Clark/Pro Hockey News
December 14, 2017: New York Islanders right wing Josh Bailey (12) celebrates his goal against the Columbus Blue Jackets in Columbus, Ohio. Brent Clark/Pro Hockey News
December 14, 2017: New York Islanders center Casey Cizikas (53) takes a shot on goal against the Columbus Blue Jackets in Columbus, Ohio. Brent Clark/Pro Hockey News
December 14, 2017: Columbus Blue Jackets goalie Sergei Bobrovsky (72) makes the save against the New York Islanders in Columbus, Ohio. Brent Clark/Pro Hockey News
December 14, 2017: Columbus Blue Jackets center Boone Jenner (38) checks New York Islanders center John Tavares (91) in Columbus, Ohio. Brent Clark/Pro Hockey News
December 14, 2017: Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman David Savard (58) and Columbus Blue Jackets right wing Josh Anderson (77) during the game against the New York Islanders in Columbus, Ohio. Brent Clark/Pro Hockey News
December 14, 2017: New York Islanders right wing Josh Bailey (12) carries the puck against the Columbus blue Jackets in Columbus, Ohio. Brent Clark/Pro Hockey News
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