Game 75: Isles at Blue Jackets

Isles 4, Blue Jackets, 3

Hard to ask for a better play to end a game on...Mark Streit makes a terrific play to strip the puck in the back end and John Tavares makes a beauty of a pass to Josh Bailey, who finished with flourish for a 4-3 overtime victory.

"Great play by Streiter moving up the ice. He was gassed but he found a way to get up there in a hurry, pass to Johnny, and Johnny, it was like he has a sixth sense, such good hockey sense. He knew I was there, he found me,  and I was lucky enough to open him up a little bit and find that hole."

By the way, Streit played a monster 32:29 minutes in the game.

Not for nothing, but despite the Islanders' depletion on D, the team is 5-2-1 in last 8 games. 

Isles 3, Blue Jackets, 3

Isles give up two goals early in the third--first to Rick Nash then the equalizer to Grant Clintsome-and head into their 23rd overtime period this season.

Isles 2, Blue Jackets 1, end of second period

Isles were outshot 15-8 in the second and RJ Umberger pulled the Blue Jackets within a goal with his power-play tally on a deep slapshot that seeped through Dwayne Roloson, who was screened in front.

Tremendous sprawling save by Roloson on Nash's wrister with about a minute remaining in the second period and the Blue Jackets on the PP.

Isles 2, Blue Jackets, 0, end of 1st period.

Isles take a 2-0 lead, first on a sharp-angle goal from Kyle Okposo at 4:32 then on Sean Bergenheim's redirect of Tim Jackman's shot at 5:44.

Superb first period for Dwayne Roloson, who turned away all eight shots from Columbus, several of which were VERY good scoring chances.

In his NHL debut, Anton Klementyev played 3 shifts for a total of 2:14 in the first. No surprise that Mark Streit will be shouldering an even heavier workload than usual...he leads the team with 11 shifts and 9:59 of ice time.