Columbus Blue Jackets Fall To New York Islanders 1-0 In An Enormous Game At UBS Arena
The Columbus Blue Jackets have been very hot and came into this game in a playoff spot. The Islanders are not in a playoff spot, and they are now chasing. Columbus has a new coach in Rick Bowness. In the 24 games since he took over, the Blue Jackets have just two regulation losses. In that time, their 40 points are second in the National Hockey League.
This is the second time this season the Islanders are playing the Blue Jackets. This is a four-point game, as Columbus is in the Metropolitan Division with the Islanders. Therefore, the game had an enormous impact on the playoff standings. Do you think the Blue Jackets will continue their hot streak?
Columbus and Islander Scoring Summary
There was a buzz in UBS Arena during the game between Columbus and the Islanders. As stated in the introduction, Columbus has not lost much in the last 24 games; they won 5-2 yesterday against the Seattle Kraken. Jet Greaves started in goal for the Blue Jackets, and he has not lost since Jan. 12. He is 11-0-2 in that time.
Ilya Sorokin started in goal for the Islanders tonight. He started yesterday as well and was pulled with six minutes left in the game. Here is a scoring summary from this game.
In the first period, Bo Horvat scored on a 2-on-1 to give the Islanders a 1-0 lead. The first period was played fast between these two playoff aspirants, and the Blue Jackets had the better of the play, slightly. That was how the first period ended.
In the second period, there were no goals scored. However, the Islanders had a good period. They possessed the puck in the offensive zone for a significant period. In the first two periods, the Islanders had more than 10 minutes in the Columbus zone. That was the effect of the Horvat goal.
In the third period, there were no goals. The Islanders withstood a big push from the Blue Jackets when they pulled their goaltender. Sorokin played great and got his league-leading 7th shutout, and the Horvat goal stood up.
Changes
Both Anthony Duclair and Ryan Pulock missed this game with injuries. This necessitated significant lineup changes for the Islanders. They had three new defensive pairings for this game. Also, Kyle MacLean played for the Islanders in Duclair’s spot.
Player of the Game
The player of the game was Horvat. He scored a goal just 1:25 into the game. That goal set the tone for the game, a game the Islanders had to win. The Islanders have been plagued by slow starts of late. That was not the case tonight, as the Islanders scored first in a game they had to win. That goal stood up for the entire first period and for the rest of the game.
Turning Point
The turning point of the game was that goal from Horvat. That goal, occurring early in the game, set the tone. The Islanders have gotten off to several slow starts recently. It was very important, in a must-win game at home, for the Islanders to score first. Columbus is a hot team. However, the Islanders were able to play with them, thanks to that goal.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Islanders won this game 1-0 against Columbus. This was a four-point divisional game. The player of the game was Horvat, who scored only 1:25 into the game. That goal set the tone for the game and was the early turning point. The Islanders host the Blackhawks on Tuesday at 7 pm. Columbus plays in Philadelphia on Tuesday as well, at 7 p.m.
Parting Shots
This was an enormous game between two division rivals and playoff aspirants. The Islanders play 10 of their last 12 games at home. Islanders fans hope the home cooking will give them an advantage coming down the stretch. The Islanders spent 105 days in a playoff spot before being disposed of by Columbus two days ago. They are back in a playoff spot with a 1-0 win.
