Noah Dobson scored the goal that put the Islanders ahead early in the third period, helping them to secure a 4-2 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday night, thus keeping their hopes alive for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
Pierre Engvall and Bo Horvat scored in the first period for the Islanders, while Ilya Sorokin made 25 saves to contribute to their win. This victory pushed the Islanders past the Washington Capitals and the Detroit Red Wings for the last playoff position, with six games remaining.
Kirill Marchenko and Dmitri Voronkov scored for Columbus, who had won their previous two games. Daniil Tarasov, the Blue Jackets’ goalie, left the game in the first period due to injury, with Jet Greaves taking over.
The Islanders managed to sweep their season series with Columbus, despite the Blue Jackets being out of playoff contention. Engvall scored a power-play goal for the Islanders in the first period, followed by Voronkov’s equalizer for Columbus.
Horvat then gave the Islanders the lead with a powerful shot from the right circle. Marchenko tied the game again later in the first period with a fortunate bounce off Sorokin’s mask.
Dobson’s goal in the third period put the Islanders ahead for good, with Kyle Palmieri adding an empty-netter in the final minute to seal the win.
