That’s a kick in the teeth.
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1
2
3
F
0
1
1
2
1
0
2
3
CBJ GOALS:
Wood (P2, 15:19)
Mateychuk (P3, 12:10)
Two late goals by the New York Islanders were the difference as they beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-2 in a late Sunday afternoon affair at UBS Arena.
Simon Holmstrom scored the game-winner with 37 seconds left, and Anders Lee tied the game with just over one minute left in the third period. Matthew Schaefer had a goal for New York. David Rittich made 20 saves.
Denton Mateychuk and Miles Wood scored for Columbus. Elvis Merzlikins made 36 saves. The loss snaps Columbus’ four-game winning streak.
Head coach Dean Evason made lineup changes, as Zach Aston-Reese drew into the lineup and Yegor Chinakhov came out. Miles Wood joined Adam Fantilli and Boone Jenner, while Kent Johnson played with Isac Lunderstrom and Aston-Rees. Merzlikins played in his 250th career game.
Here’s how a potential win turned into the toughest loss of the season for the Blue Jackets:
1st Period:
(5:53 — NYI Goal): Schaefer, the 2025 first overall pick and October’s Rookie of the Month, started the scoring on the power play for the Islanders to give New York the 1-0 lead (Assists: Bo Horvat, Kyle Palmieri).
It has always been Matthew Schaefer pic.twitter.com/EPXaM1SDrl
— Rob Taub (@RTaub_) November 2, 2025
The Islanders heavily outshot the Blue Jackets 18-3 in the first period. There weren’t many chances bigger than one caused by Rittich after an ill-advised clearing attempt by the goaltender was intercepted by Sean Monahan, but Rittich was back in place to make the save.
Wood was shaken up on a hit against the boards but was okay.
Miles Wood muscles Matthew Schaefer off the puck and J.G Pageau nailed him right back pic.twitter.com/LfEq0WcC1a
— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) November 2, 2025
2nd Period:
(15:19 — CBJ Goal): Wood’s goal tied the game at 1-1. Adam Fantilli and Boone Jenner picked up the assists on the goal.
ALL TIED UP!
CBJ x @FanaticsBook pic.twitter.com/Cj8BBetLLH
— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) November 2, 2025
Columbus outshot New York 14-10 in the second period. The Blue Jackets were 0-for-3 on the power play in the middle frame.
3rd Period:
While Columbus was playing the second of a back-to-back, and third such back-to-back in the last week, the Islanders were playing their third game in four nights.
Who would get the last goal here?
(12:10 — CBJ Goal): Mateychuk would be the answer to that question with his third of the season to give Columbus its first lead of the night. Marchenko picked up his seventh assist, and Monahan added his fifth.
DENTO SCORES AND WE HAVE THE LEAD!
CBJ x @FanaticsBook pic.twitter.com/VI71eYHc28
— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) November 3, 2025
Was there a goal or not? There was an odd play where the Jackets thought the puck was in the net, but the officials said it was not a goal and put the onus on Columbus to challenge the play, which they did not do.
Charlie Coyle bumps into David Rittich — with some help, you might say, from the defenseman — and the goalie falls into the net just as Zach Werenski is shooting it in. No goal on the ice. I guess we play on.
That was a weird one.
— Jeff Svoboda (@JacketsInsider) November 3, 2025
“The puck goes in the net, so we’re not sure why there wasn’t a goal on the play,” Evason said. “The refs didn’t say that there’s goalie interference. The onus should be on them to challenge if the puck goes in the net. Not for us to challenge a goal that actually goes in the net.
“I don’t understand that one.”
(18:53 — NYI Goal): Lee tied the game at 2-2. Schaefer picked up his second point with the assist.
FIRST, ANDERS LEE TIED IT pic.twitter.com/5Ulc2tWOl5
— Islanders Videos (@SNY_Islanders) November 3, 2025
(19:22 — NYI Goal): Holmstrom scored the winning goal 29 seconds later. Lee and Jean-Gabriel Pageau picked up the assists.
#BlueJackets 2 @ #Islanders 3 [P3:38]:
Goal: Simon Holmstrom (4)
Late-Reg Winner Backhand
Assists: A.Lee (7), J.Pageau (4)#CBJ #Isles #NHLpic.twitter.com/nl7urA6LfN
— NHL Goal Videos (@NHLGoalsVideo) November 3, 2025
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CBJ
GAME STATS
NYI
22
SHOTS
39
31.9%
FACEOFFS
68.1%
0/4
POWER PLAY
1/2
1/2
PENALTY KILL
4/4
26
HITS
10
19
GIVEAWAYS
19
4
TAKEAWAYS
6
13
BLOCKED SHOTS
10
ALL SITUATIONS ADVANCED STATS
2.77
EXPECTED GOALS
4.62
45
SHOT ATTEMPTS
70
25
SCORING CHANCES
36
13
HIGH-DANGER CHANCES
19
Data via NHL.com & NaturalStatTrick.com
Stat Chat:
With the assist, Fantilli has six career points (four goals, two assists) against the Islanders in seven career games.
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Jenner’s assist was the 189th of his career, tying him with Cam Aktinson for fifth on the Blue Jackets’ all-time franchise list.
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Marchenko extended his points streak to five games (five assists). He has points in 10 of the Blue Jackets’ 12 games this season.
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Columbus falls to 2-1 on the second of back-to-backs this season.
Up Next:
The Blue Jackets continue their road trip into Western Canada when they play the Calgary Flames at Scotiabank Saddledome on Wednesday, Nov. 5, at 9:30 p.m.