Islanders 3, Blue Jackets 2 (OT)
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Right winger Kyle Okposo scored two goals, including the overtime winner, to lead the New York Islanders to a 3-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday night in Nationwide Arena.
Okposo, who also had the primary assist on the Islanders' third goal, scored at 2:16 of overtime to extend the Islanders' point streak to nine games (7-0-2).
Center Frans Nielsen also scored for the Islanders and goaltender Jaroslav Halak finished with 28 saves, including a big stop on Blue Jackets defenseman Ryan Murray only one minute into overtime.
The Blue Jackets have lost six of their last seven games (1-3-3).
Left winger Brandon Saad and right winger Cam Atkinson scored for the Blue Jackets. Goaltender Curtis McElhinney, making his second straight start for injured Sergei Bobrovsky, had 16 saves.
The Islanders took a 1-0 lead at 15:21 of the first period, thanks to a horrific turnover by Blue Jackets center Gregory Campbell.
Campbell was trying to pass his way out of his own zone, but the puck was picked off by Okposo in the left faceoff circle.
Okposo took two strides and scored on a wrister above McElhinney's glove for a 1-0 lead.
The Blue Jackets tied the score at 5:08 of the second period.
Left winger Boone Jenner spun and shot from the goal line extended, sending the puck into a crowd gathering in front of Halak.
Saad was pulling up to stop when the puck caromed off his right skate and into the net -- his first goal in 11 games -- to tie the score at 1.
The Islanders had the lead back barely two minutes later, however.
At 7:10 of the second, and on their third power play of the period, Nielsen pounced on a rebound during a scramble in front of McElhinney.
Nielson fired the puck into the net off Blue Jackets defenseman David Savard, who was on his knees behind McElhinney acting as a second goaltender during the scramble.
The Blue Jackets pulled even at 8:20 of the third, scoring on their first shot on goal of the period.
Atkinson gathered a loose puck atop the right circle and appeared to survey his passing options before firing a slap shot that sailed over Halak's left pad.
The Blue Jackets thought they'd scored the go-ahead goal with 47.7 seconds remaining, but Jenner's goal was disallowed after replays showed his right skate helped kick it across the goal line.
In overtime, Islanders center Josh Bailey blocked a shot by Blue Jackets center Ryan Johansen and started a 2-on-0 with Okposo.
As they crossed the hash marks in the slot, Bailey dropped the puck to Okposo for the winner.
It was the fifth straight game in which the Islanders have played an overtime.
NOTES: Horn Chen, who was a Blue Jackets' minority owner and owned several minor-league sports franchises in the United States and Canada, passed away on Monday in Illinois. He was 83. Chen started the Central Hockey League in 1992. ... Who would have guessed the New York Islanders, once the laughingstock of hockey, would be the picture of stability? Islanders coach Jack Capuano is the longest-tenured coach in the Metropolitan Division. There have been 16 coaching changes in the division -- two by the Blue Jackets -- after the firing on Saturday of Pittsburgh Penguins coach Mike Johnston. ... The Blue Jackets activated RW Jared Boll (foot) off injured reserve, but made him a healthy scratch. Boll has been out since he blocked a shot vs. St. Louis on Nov. 17.