Casey Cizikas scored the tying goal with 1:46 left Thursday night and Jordan Eberle scored the winning goal just 33 seconds later as the visiting New York Islanders stormed back to stun the Winnipeg Jets 5-4.
The Islanders trailed 2-0 less than seven minutes into the game and were down 3-1 in the second and 4-2 in the third before mounting an unlikely comeback. New York, which scored just six goals in its previous five games, pulled within 4-3 on Eberle's first goal 7:49 into the third. Cizikas swooped into the crease behind Jets right winger Patrik Laine to put back the rebound of a shot by Anthony Beauvillier before Eberle took a no-look pass from behind the net by Mathew Barzal and scored from point-blank range to complete his second two-goal game of the season.
The victory marked just the third time this year the Islanders, who have allowed the second-fewest goals in the NHL, won a game in which they surrendered at least four goals.
Barzal scored in the first period and Anders Lee scored in the second as the Islanders (45-26-7) moved ahead of the Pittsburgh Penguins into sole possession of second place in the Metropolitan Division and reduced their magic number for clinching a playoff spot to two points. New York is three points behind the first-place Washington Capitals, who beat the Carolina Hurricanes 3-2 on Thursday.
Islanders goalie Robin Lehner made 33 saves.
Adam Lowry scored twice in the first period, including just 13 seconds after the opening faceoff, for the Central Division-leading Jets (45-28-4), who missed a chance to move four points ahead of the second-place Nashville Predators and six points ahead of the third-place St. Louis Blues. The two-goal game was the second of the season for Lowry and the fifth of his career.
Brandon Tanev scored in the second period and Mark Scheifele added a third-period goal for the Jets. Goalie Connor Hellebuyck recorded 39 saves.
--Field Level Media
NY Islanders | Winnipeg | |
Jordan Eberle 3 | Points | Adam Lowry 3 |
Jordan Eberle 2 | Goals | Adam Lowry 2 |
Ryan Pulock 3 | Assists | Brandon Tanev 2 |
Anders Lee 1 | Power Play Goals | Mark Scheifele 1 |
N/A | Short Handed Goals | N/A |
Robin Lehner .892 | Save Percentage | Connor Hellebuyck .886 |
Robin Lehner 33 | Saves | Connor Hellebuyck 39 |
Team | Shots | Goals | Power Play | Penalty Kill | Penalty Mins | Face Offs Won |
NY Islanders | 44 | 5 | 1-4 | 3-4 | 8 | 19 |
Winnipeg | 37 | 4 | 1-4 | 3-4 | 8 | 41 |