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Highlight Recap – Game #31 – Islanders 3 Blue Jackets 2

FIRST PERIOD HIGHLIGHTS

Curtis McElhinney with the mask change. Looking for his first win of the season.

– Fast pace in the opening minutes of the game. Top line of Boone JennerRyan JohansenBrandon Saad showing physicality.

– Midway through period, solid shift by fourth line, buzzing around the Islanders‘ net. Fedor Tyutin with a couple of shots.

– ISLANDERS GOAL. The Jackets were sustaining pressure in the offensive zone, but the Islanders worked the puck back into the Columbus end. David Savard gathered the puck and passed from behind the goal line to Gregory Campbell on the right wall, who tried to force a pass to the slot. The pass went right to the stick of Kyle Okposo, however, who skated in on McElhinney, firing, and scoring.

– Good response by the Jackets after the goal against, especially from the top line.

– 49.8 seconds left, Cam Atkinson to the box for hacking the stick of John Tavares. Jackets to PK.

– Shots 9-4 for the Jackets after one.

SECOND PERIOD HIGHLIGHTS

– CBJ started the period with Atkinson still in the box, penalty was killed.

– Just over a minute into the second, Andrew Bodnarchuk to the box for boarding Ryan Strome. We see this kind of play way too often – Strome hunched over to play the puck along the boards, with Bodnarchuk already committed to checking him. Naturally, the check was then high on Strome, looking like boarding. The player receiving the hit needs to be more responsible. The penalty was killed by the Jackets.

CBJ GOAL. After Brandon Dubinsky took a hard hit behind the Islanders goal, he slipped the puck to Jenner, who then muscled his way out from behind the net, turning and sending a pass toward the crease. The puck was redirected behind Jaroslav Halak off the skate of Saad, and after a brief review the goal was confirmed.

– With just over 14 minutes left in the second, Kevin Connauton was sent to the box for hauling down Strome, who went down quite easily. Kid sure knows how to draw a cheesy penalty.

ISLANDERS GOAL. Unfortunately for the Jackets, they were unable to kill that penalty. The Islanders fired a shot on net, beating McElhinney, who was at the edge of his crease. David Savard was stationed behind McElhinney though, and was there to make the save, but McElhinney’s glove then knocked the puck over the goal line.

– The Jackets were unfazed. For the remainder of the period, they dominated possession and had the Isles completely hemmed in their own zone. It was easily one of the best stretches of CBJ hockey all season. It was a shame that they couldn’t be rewarded with a goal, though.

– Shots after two periods were 22-11 in favor of the Jackets.

THIRD PERIOD HIGHLIGHTS

– The Jackets started the third much the same way they finished the second – with lots of great puck movement.

– CBJ GOAL. It took a bit for the CBJ to get their first shot on net, but when they did, it was the tieing goal. Alexander Wennberg carried the puck through the neutral zone, passing to Scott Hartnell just inside the Islanders blueline. Hartnell fired a cross-ice pass to Savard, who teed it up for Cam Atkinson for the one-time blast past Halak.

David Clarkson seemed to injury his wrist/forearm. Dude can’t catch a break.

– With 48 seconds left in regulation, the Jackets thought they had the lead. Johansen carried the puck out of his zone, passing to Saad. Saad sent a pass to the front of the net, with Jenner crashing the net. The puck crossed the goal line, and was initially called a goal. After an extended review though, it was determined that Boone kicked the puck in.

OT HIGHLIGHTS

– Dubinsky, Atkinson and Murray to start. Murray with good chance.

– Johansen, Saad and Johnson next trio out there. A bit sloppy, with all three near Halak puck was turned over, two-on-none breakaway. Josh Bailey dropped for Okposo, who went forehand-backhand to slide the puck behind McElhinney.

FINAL SCORE: 3-2 Islanders

QUICK THOUGHTS:

1 – This one hurt.

UP NEXT: Jackets are back in action Monday against the Lightning.