The Islanders flipped a two-goal hole into a 4-3 OT triumph, shoving Columbus seven points out of a playoff spot with one week until the trade deadline.
Simon Holmstrom buried a breakaway 1:42 into 3-on-3 overtime Saturday night, capping a roaring Islanders rally that turned a 2-0 second-period deficit into a 4-3 road victory over the desperate Blue Jackets. The extra-time dagger lifts New York to 73 points, moves them three clear of Detroit, and—most importantly—pushes Columbus to seven points back with just 20 games remaining and the March 7 trade deadline looming.
The math is now cruel for Columbus. Even with two games in hand, the Jackets must pass three clubs while playing at a 105-point pace the rest of the way just to sniff the second wild card. GM Don Waddell arrived hoping a regulation win would catapult a stealth playoff push; instead he left Nationwide Arena with a roster on the brink of selldown.
Roy’s between-period tweak flips the script—again
For the second straight night the Islanders trailed 2-0 after 30 minutes. For the second straight night coach Patrick Roy junked the passive 1-2-2 neutral-zone shell, ordered constant low-to-high reloads, and demanded net-crash chaos. The result: three second-period goals in a 7:34 span, 17 slot shots in the final 40 minutes, and another two points that feel like four.
- Anders Lee shovels in a Scott Mayfield rebound at 11:28.
- Jean-Gabriel Pageau pots his own rebound 22 seconds later to tie it.
- Mayfield’s point shot pinballs off Kirill Marchenko and Zach Werenski for the 3-2 lead.
Special teams stay special, Sorokin stays clutch
Ilya Sorokin shrugged off a soft opening goal, stopping 28 of 31 including a breakaway denial on Boone Jenner with 3:10 left in regulation. The league’s top road penalty-kill erased both Columbus chances, running its run to 24 straight kills away from UBS Arena. The Jackets’ power play, meanwhile, slipped to 0-for-24 in February—another specialty-unit meltdown that will steer Waddell toward seller mode.
Trade-debate ripple effects
Islanders: Lou Lamoriello can hunt depth rather than sell futures. With Adam Pelech (upper body) nearing a return, a middle-six rental wing—not a fire sale—is now the calculus.
Blue Jackets: Pending UFAs Sean Kuraly, Damon Severson and Justin Danforth instantly become the most coveted bottom-six grit on the market. Expect Waddell to listen on Boone Jenner if the return includes a first-rounder.
Crystal-ball standings
The Metro now owns three of the East’s top four seeds. If the Islanders hold serve at even a .560 clip the rest of the way, the Red Wings would need 93-plus points to bump them. Columbus, wounded and scoreless on the man-advantage for a month, needs 10 more wins than New York down the stretch—an ask so steep that sportsbooks lengthened their playoff odds from 18-1 to 60-1 overnight NY Post standings.
Resiliency index: best in the East?
New York has erased a two-goal deficit to win six separate times this season, tied with Florida for the most in the NHL. Only the 2019-20 Blues finished a campaign with more comeback wins from 0-2 down Islanders stats. Roy’s group is 12-2-1 when trailing after the first period—proof the buy-in is total and the tactical adjustments are landing in real time.
Bottom line: Saturday’s script flips the East’s wild-card race from a four-team dogfight into a three-team sprint. Columbus must now choose between futile hope and full teardown, while the Islanders skate into March with momentum, margin and a clear lane to April hockey. For instant, authoritative insight on every trade and every twist, keep your refresh locked on onlytrustedinfo.com.
