Islanders 5, Blue Jackets 2
NEW YORK -- Center Brock Nelson collected his first NHL hat trick Tuesday night, and the New York Islanders snapped out of a two-game offensive slump with a 5-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets at Barclays Center.
Center Ryan Strome scored the game's first goal, and defenseman Brian Strait scored in the third period for the Islanders (23-15-5), who collected just 20 shots on goal Saturday in a 4-0 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers.
Nelson capped off his hat trick with 10.8 seconds left, when he was tripped up by Blue Jackets defenseman David Savard yet managed to get a stick on the puck, which trickled into the empty net.
Goalie Thomas Greiss recorded 18 saves as the Islanders moved into a tie for second place in the Metropolitan Division with the New York Rangers heading into Thursday's game between the longtime rivals at Barclays Center.
Savard and center William Karlsson scored for the Blue Jackets (15-25-4), who have lost four straight (0-3-1) and 12 of their past 16 (4-9-3). Columbus has 34 points, the fewest in the NHL.
Blue Jackets goalie Anton Forsberg made 28 saves.
The Islanders, who scored just one total goal in their previous two games, took a quick lead when Strome put back a shot by left winger Matt Martin at 5:03 of the first period. The goal was set up by center Casey Cizikas, who stole the puck from Blue Jackets center Alexander Wennberg near the blue line before passing to Martin.
The Blue Jackets didn't record a shot during the first 10 minutes, but they tied the game at the end of their first serious threat. An Islanders power play ended with a flurry of activity in front of the Columbus net, after which Blue Jackets defenseman Jack Johnson picked up the puck and skated along the left side. His shot bounced off Greiss and right to Karlsson, who put it in the open right corner of the net.
Karlsson's goal was just being announced when the Islanders retook the lead with exactly eight minutes left in the period. Defenseman Thomas Hickey's pass hit Nelson in stride, and Nelson fired a shot under Columbus center Gregory Campbell that sailed under the left armpit of Forsberg.
The Blue Jackets tied it on Savard's first goal of the season with 6:11 left in the second. A loose puck bounced around the Islanders' zone before Savard pounced and fired a slap shot that glanced off Greiss' uniform and into the net.
Nelson's second goal gave the Islanders the lead again with 2:31 remaining in the middle period. Nelson outraced Savard to the puck near center ice and skated up along the left side with center Josh Bailey a few feet to his right. After faking a pass to Bailey, Nelson sent a shot past Forsberg.
NOTES: The Islanders scratched D Travis Hamonic (lower body), RW Steve Bernier and D Scott Mayfield. Newsday reported late Monday that Hamonic will miss two to three weeks with a lower-body injury suffered Jan. 7. Another key defenseman, Johnny Boychuk, is out until at least the All-Star Break with a shoulder injury. ... The Blue Jackets scratched D Kevin Connauton, D Cody Goloubef and D Dalton Prout. Connauton was placed on waivers Tuesday afternoon. If he goes unclaimed, Connauton will likely be assigned to Lake Erie of the AHL. ... Blue Jackets G Sergei Bobrovsky missed his 15th straight game with a groin injury but skated Tuesday morning.