Adam Fantilli scored the only goal in the shootout Monday night for the visiting Columbus Blue Jackets, who overcame a two-goal deficit and snapped a six-game losing streak with a pivotal 4-3 win over the New York Islanders in Elmont, N.Y.
Fantilli also scored to begin the comeback in the second period for the Blue Jackets (32-29-9, 73 points), who inched within two points of the idle Montreal Canadiens (33-27-9, 75 points) for the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot.
Boone Jenner and Kirill Marchenko added goals for the Blue Jackets, who hadn’t led in any of their previous six games (0-5-1). Elvis Merzlikins made 30 saves in regulation and overtime before stopping all three Islanders shots in the shootout.
Pierre Engvall, Kyle Palmieri and Anders Lee scored for the Islanders (32-28-10, 74 points), who lost after regulation for the second straight game but moved within a point of the Canadiens. Palmieri had the potential game-winning goal overturned due to interference with Merzlikins with 9.6 seconds left in regulation.
Goalie Ilya Sorokin recorded 27 saves.
Engvall opened the scoring at the 13:16 mark of the first, when he swooped into the right faceoff circle and fired a shot past Merzlikins once Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski left his shooting lane.
Palmieri doubled the lead with 1:19 left. Bo Horvat passed from the goal line to Palmieri, who streaked into the slot and buried a shot under Merzlikins’ glove.
The Blue Jackets briefly tied the score by scoring on two of their five second-period shots. Merzlikins earned an assist by batting away the puck from Noah Dobson’s shot off the back boards and passing to Dante Fabbro, who dished to Fantilli in the neutral zone. Fantilli shuffled the puck for several steps before sending a shot past Dobson as he kneeled and beyond Sorokin’s glove at the 5:31 mark.
Jenner tied the score with a short-handed goal with 2:47 left. Another Dobson shot bounced off bodies in the crease and to Sean Monahan, who returned Monday after missing the last 28 games with a wrist injury. Monahan chipped the puck into the neutral zone to Jenner whose shot glanced off Dobson’s ankle and fluttered past Sorokin.
The Islanders retook the lead with 48 seconds remaining when Lee, battling for position with Erik Gudbranson — who missed the previous 66 games with a shoulder injury — in front of Merzlikins, redirected a shot by Reilly. The goal stood upon a challenge by the Blue Jackets.
Marchenko tied the game with 7:04 left, when Monahan won a faceoff against Horvat deep in the Columbus zone before Marchenko’s shot sailed past Sorokin as he was screened by several players.
–Field Level Media
