Islanders 4, Blue Jackets 0
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Defenseman Thomas Hickey and right winger Cal Clutterbuck scored goals in a span of 2:16 in the third period, quelling a push from the Columbus Blue Jackets and sending the New York Islanders to a 4-0 win in Nationwide Arena.
Center John Tavares and left winger Nikolay Kulemin also scored for the Islanders, while goaltender Jaroslav Halak made 36 saves to earn his second win of the season.
It was the 37th shutout of Halak's career.
The Blue Jackets, still searching for their first win of the season, were down 1-0 but pressing hard early in the third period, thanks to three minor penalties on the Islanders.
But Hickey picked the lead to 2-0 at 11:20 of the third when he picked off a pass from Blue Jackets defenseman Gody Goloubef and went the length of the ice for a 4-on-4 goal.
Clutterbuck pushed the lead to 3-0 at 13:36 of the third when he buried a wrister into the far corner of the net from the left faceoff circle.
Tavares netted an empty-net goal 3:14 to play to cap the scoring.
Columbus was shutout for the first time this season
Goaltender Curtis McElhinney, making his second straight start for struggling starter Sergei Bobrovsky, made 25 saves.
The loss dropped the Blue Jackets to 0-7-0, which is not just the worst in franchise history but tied for the worst start since the NHL doubled in size in 1967
The 1997-98 Chicago Blackhawks were the last NHL club to open the season 0-7.
The all-time NHL record for regulation losses at the start of a season in the 1943-44 New York Rangers, who started 0-11.
Blue Jackets coach Todd Richards might not get a chance to match or surpass these records. Richards, who celebrated his 49th birthday Tuesday, is reportedly in jeopardy of being fired.
The Blue Jackets best chances to score came in the third period.
The Islanders took a 1-0 lead with only 1:02 remaining in the first period. Kulemin was on the doorstep when defenseman Marek Zidlicky found him with a perfect pass across the slot.
NOTES: The three longest-tenured Islanders -- C Frans Nielsen (10th season), RW Kyle Okposo (ninth) and LW Josh Bailey (eighth season) -- are playing together on a line for the first time in their careers and thriving. They each scored goals in Saturday's 6-3 win over San Jose. ... The Blue Jackets made a surprise healthy scratch of RW Cam Atkinson. "It's to give (Rene Bourque) at chance," Richards said. "We're 0-6. I think (Atkinson) -- and there are other people, too -- that we we need more from. We just need him to be better." ... Blue Jackets C Alexander Wennberg returned to the lineup after five games with a concussion. He was injured on a hit by New York Rangers forward Chris Kreider during opening night.