Mandatory Credit: Bruce Fedyck-USA TODAY Sports
The game got off to a rough start, with Chris Thorburn and Matt Martin dropping the gloves just two minutes into the affair. Thorburn returned momentarily, but Martin did not return to the game with a reported hand injury. The Jets play was a little scrambly in the first and early in the second.
The Jets’ Andrew Ladd scored his first of two on the night at 10:57 of the first period and the Islanders answered back with a goal from Colin McDonald at 17:30 to go into the first intermission tied 1-1. Ondrej Pavelec kept the Jets in the game in the first period and for the first part of the second and gave his team a chance to get their legs.
The Jets sloppy play continued early in the second and it cost them when Anders Lee scored to give the Isles a 2-1 lead. But the Jets took over and started t0 play much better and ended up out shooting the Islanders 17-7 in the second with a two period total of 26-20 for the Jets.
The Jets continued the strong play in the third and at 14:53 were finally rewarded by Ladd’s second goal on a breakaway while the teams played 4 on 4.
The Islanders’ Tomas Vanek was a healthy scratch and rumours circulated that he was sat to protect being injured because of an impending trade. The Islanders also started third-string goaltender Anders Nilsson. It was Nilsson’s 13th NHL game.
St. Malo, Manitoba native Travis Hamonic recorded 26 minutes of ice time and a plus 1 rating on the night, in his first game back from a suspension.
The Jets took the play to the Islanders for the rest of the way and had a powerplay late in the game for a delay of game penalty when Islanders netminder Nilsson shot the puck over the glass. But they couldn’t capitalize.
In overtime the Jets carried the play and had a couple of great chances to score including a goal post by Jacob Trouba, but the Islanders weathered the storm and with their only real good scoring chance Michael Grabner burst past the Jets’ defence and made no mistake on the breakaway to win the game 3-2. The final shots were 38-27 for the Jets including 11-5 in the third.
The Jets did manage to get a point in the game so they are now one point back of the Dallas Stars who lost 4-2 to the Columbus Blue Jackets tonight.
Notes: Mark Scheifele left the game in the second period and never returned after being kneed by Calvin de Haan and from the replays his knee bent awkwardly and looked like it could be ligament damage which could mean Scheifele might be lost for the season. Let’s hope not.
Next Jets action is in Winnipeg when the Los Angeles Kings visit the MTS Centre. Game time 7 pm.
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