Wild third lifts Jackets over Isles in heated affair
Dec 28, 2025; Columbus, Ohio, USA; New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer (48) looks to pass as Columbus Blue Jackets center Brendan Gaunce (16) defends during the first period at Nationwide Arena. Mandatory Credit: Russell LaBounty-Imagn Images Ivan Provorov and Kirill Marchenko scored the tying and game-winning goals in a span of 74 seconds late in the third period Sunday for the host Columbus Blue Jackets, who stunned the New York Islanders 4-2 in a heated Metropolitan Division clash.
Cole Sillinger added an empty-netter with 1:06 left for the Blue Jackets, who have won two straight for the first time since Dec. 1-4. Marchenko gave Columbus an early lead by scoring in the first.
Goalie Jet Greaves made 24 saves.
Max Shabanov tied the game late in the first and Bo Horvat scored the go-ahead goal in the second for the Islanders, who played the final 38-plus minutes without Mathew Barzal after he received a game misconduct for slashing Mason Marchment in retaliation for a pair of penalties Marchment drew against rookie Matthew Schaefer.
Marchment, playing his third game since his acquisition from the Seattle Kraken, was whistled for roughing Schaefer, the No. 1 pick in June's draft, late in the first before he tripped Schaefer in the open ice 1:37 into the second. Barzal responded by slashing Marchment.
David Rittich, who made his fourth straight start in place of the injured Ilya Sorokin, recorded 31 saves as the Islanders' two-game winning streak ended.
Marchenko scored on a breakaway 8:09 into the first before Shabanov tied the score in unusual fashion with 2:44 left, when Jean-Gabriel Pageau's shot glanced off Greaves and the puck bounced off Shabanov's skate and into the net.
Horvat scored following a Provorov turnover with 6:36 left in the second before the Blue Jackets defenseman sparked the comeback with 4:33 remaining in the third, when his shot from the slot sailed through a gaggle of bodies in front of Rittich.
Marchenko collected the game-winner when he took a feed from Adam Fantilli and got a backhand past the extended stick of Islanders defenseman Adam Pelech and beyond Rittich. The Islanders didn't collect a shot before Sillinger scored the empty-netter.
--Field Level Media
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