The Islanders capped an impressive third period with a stunning reversal of fortune in a 29-second span to steal back a 3-2 win over the visiting Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday.
The Blue Jackets were playing back-to-back, after withstanding a similar third-period surge at home the night before. With a pretty entertaining and physical game tied at 1-1 in the third period, the Isles looked like the rested team and had the better of play for long stretches.
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But hockey being hockey, it only took a couple of counter-surges by the Blue Jackets to make all that look moot. When Denton Mateychuk broke the tie on a rebound with 7:50 to play, it looked like a “one of those nights” outcome even with a decent amount of time remaining.
But with 1:07 left, Matthew Schaefer — first star of the game with two goals — had multiple good keep-ins under pressure, the final one converted into a hopeful point shot that took a couple of lucky bounces on the way to the net to tie the game. Then the Isles kept pressing, Anders Lee spun and launched a short-side shot off the post that Elvis Merzlikins thought he had, before an alert Simon Holmstrom pounced on the loose puck to give the Isles the 3-2 lead with 39 seconds to go.
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Schaefer opened scoring just 5:53 into the game, on a power play (yes, a power play goal!), part of a first-period that was both dominant and ominous: The Isles outshot Columbus 18-3, yet emerged with only the 1-0 lead.
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That omen found its prophecy fulfilled late in the second when the Isles still could not get another one past Merzlikins, and Miles Wood tied it by getting behind Scott Mayfield at the doorstep to redirect a laser from Adam Fantili.
The Isles came out in the third like they knew the opportunity was theirs, but Merzlikins wasn’t allowing it…at least not until after his team took the lead. The tying goal from Schaefer was tough luck, and the winner sent Merzlikins into a classic paddle-vs.-crossbar bout of frustration.
Two fun trivia stats from the NHL:
The Islanders’ comeback win with 1:07 to play in regulation (58:53 elapsed time) was the latest comeback win in regulation in franchise history.
Schaefer became the third-youngest player in the NHL’s expansion era (since 1967-68) to record two goals in a game. Only Jordan Staal (18 years, 41 days on Oct. 21, 2006) and Pierre Turgeon (18 years, 54 days on Oct. 21, 1987) did so at a younger age.
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That’s a modest string of two regulation wins to build on for the Isles, whose homestand continues Tuesday with a visit from the Bruins.