Okposo's 2nd goal, in OT, bumps Islanders' unbeaten streak to nine
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Skating the length of the ice with the puck on a 2-on-none breakaway, Josh Bailey decided to let Kyle Okposo have the glory of getting the winning goal.
Okposo got his second goal of the game on a drop pass from Bailey at 2:16 of overtime to lift the New York Islanders to a 3-2 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday night.
''Just happy to see that one go in,'' Bailey said of Okposo's eighth. ''I didn't want to just take an end to end breakaway knowing Okie was there.''
Apparently Bailey was too busy to hear Okposo's instructions.
''I was yelling at him to just take it but I was prepared for it,'' he said. ''In that situation sometimes you drop it but it worked out. I just tried to make the goalie bite.''
Frans Nielsen also scored and Jaroslav Halak had 28 saves as New York improved to 7-0-2 in its last nine games.
Brandon Saad and Cam Atkinson had goals for Columbus, which has one win in its last seven (1-3-3). The Blue Jackets had a potential winning goal in the final minute of regulation overturned by a video review.
Even with the Islanders' strong record of late, coach Jack Capuano wasn't pleased after the game. He thought his team provided Columbus with energy.
''If you look at the chances we gave them it came from mismanaging the puck,'' Capuano said. ''I'm disappointed, our decision making has to be better. I understand we have some skill guys but sometimes they want to make the sexy play and that's not the right play to make. You've got to take what's available to you.''
Curtis McElhinney finished with 16 saves while making a second consecutive start since Sergei Bobrovksy suffered a strained groin late on Tuesday against the visiting Kings. Bobrovksy is expected to be on the shelf for three weeks.
In overtime, Josh Bailey and Okposo broke in alone. Approaching the crease, Bailey left it for Okposo, who made a forehand to backhand move then tucked the puck past McElhinney for his eighth.
Columbus mounted a charge the second half of the game. Atkinson made it 2-apiece at 8:20 on a long slap shot for his ninth and third in the third period the last two games.
The Blue Jackets then thought they won it with 48 seconds remaining, but the goal was overturned in the league's video review room. It was ruled Boone Jenner used a ''distinct kicking motion'' to convert a rushing Brandon Saad's centering pass.
''It went of my stick and I just kind of lost it with the goalie and everything,'' Jenner said. ''Replay showed I guess there was a kicking motion. I can't do anything about it now.''
In a blurry sequence in the crease it appeared the pass hit Jenner's stick then maybe hit his skate or even trickled in off the stick of defenseman Travis Hamonic.
''I'm happy we came back to get one (point),'' Columbus coach John Tortorella said. ''But we've got try and figure out getting that extra point in these types of games if we're going to get from underneath the water.''
Okposo made it 1-0 with 4:39 remaining in the first period. He stole a bad breakout pass toward the middle of the ice by Gregory Campbell then quickly snapped a shot over McElhinney's glove.
Saad tied it at 5:08 of the second period when Jenner's spinning centering pass deflected off his skate past Halak. The goal was Saad's 10th ending an 11-game drought, one short of tying his career long skid.
The Islanders responded just 57 seconds later on the power play with Nielsen scoring his 12th. At the top of the crease he controlled a bouncing puck and squibbed a weak, low shot by McElhinney's outstreched arm and David Savard on his knees at the goal line.
''I think that we've done a pretty good job of getting a couple points when we haven't been at our best,'' Okposo said. ''We've just got to find a way to get back to that level because we know we can't sustain this.''
NOTES: Tortorella is 11-10-3 since he replaced Todd Richards on Oct. 21, a day after the visiting Islanders beat Columbus 4-0. ... Islanders C Ryan Strome was boarded by Andrew Bodnarchuk in the second period and did not finish the game. ... New York is 6-0-2 against fellow Metropolitian Division teams. ... Columbus D Jack Johnson and C Ryan Johansen played their 600th and 300th career games, respectively. ...The Islanders are 3-0-1 in their last four in Columbus after just one win in the prior 10 visits. ... The Islanders' last five games have gone to at least overtime. They have won three in a shootout and are 1-1 in games decided in OT. ... The last four home games for Columbus have went beyond regulation.
