Brock Nelson’s goal lifts Islanders over Blue Jackets for third straight win

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Brock Nelson scored his third game-winning aim of the season and the New York Islanders prolonged their profitable streak to 3 video games with a 3-2 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday evening.

Oliver Wahlstrom and Jean-Gabriel Pageau additionally scored, and Mathew Barzal had two assists for the Islanders. Ilya Sorokin stopped 24 pictures.

Kent Johnson had a aim and an help, Yegor Chinakhov scored and Johnny Gaudreau completed with two assists for Columbus, which has misplaced three of its final 4 video games, all at house. Joonas Korpisalo had 21 saves in his third consecutive loss.

Wahlstrom’s wrister from between the circles with two and a half minutes left within the first put the Islanders up, and Pageau doubled the lead together with his team-leading fourth power-play aim about eight minutes into the second interval.

“I assumed we have been good within the first interval,” Islanders coach Lane Lambert mentioned. “We have been transferring our toes. We have been on the forecheck. I give our guys full credit score. They got here to play.”

Brock Nelson, center, celebrates after his winner.

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A pair of Islanders penalties late within the interval helped Columbus. Chinakhov scored from simply above the left circle on a 5-on-3 energy play with six minutes left, and Johnson pulled Columbus even with a power-play aim simply 33 seconds later.

“I really feel like we’re in fairly good management for the primary half-hour, up till the facility play,” Nelson mentioned. “There have been a pair minutes there with all of the stuff that occurred and hastily, you’re again in a tie hockey sport. It was response by us to climate that.”

Nelson gave the Islanders the lead for good six minutes into the third, intercepting a clearing move alongside the boards skating 4-on-4 and sending a shot excessive over Korpisalo for his team-leading tenth aim.

Islanders gamers scrap with Blue Jackets gamers.

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Regardless of the loss, Blue Jackets coach Brad Larsen was inspired.

“We performed nicely,” Larsen mentioned. “There’s not a lot to criticize tonight. A reasonably stable sport once more. It’s coming.”