Champs KO’d
Islander comeback stuns Blues
The Islanders have been struggling to score in the early going this season so their late outburst, plus an overtime winner against the defending champions, provided a welcome boost.
Defenseman Devon Toews scored at 1:13 of overtime to complete a stunning late-game comeback by the Islanders as they downed the Blues, 3-2, on Monday in Uniondale. Brock Nelson and Mathew Barzal knotted the contest with late third-period goals before Toews netted the winner.
“Until the last six minutes of the game, we couldn't get anything going but we found a break and capitalized on our opportunity,” said Barzal, who led the Islanders in points last season and whose tying goal was his first this season. ”We were looking for anything to get us in a better mood. We battled right to the end. A great effort.”
The Blues seemed to have the game well in hand in the closing minutes before Nelson put the home team on the board with his third goal of the season at 14:29 of the third. Barzal then tied the game at 19:33 off a scramble in front with Islanders netminder Thomas Greiss pulled for an extra attacker. Defenseman Johnny Boychuk, who kept the puck in the zone, notched the lone assist.
That set the stage for Toews' goal — his second of the season — on which Barzal and Nelson collected the assists. That sent what had been a mostly silent crowd of 10,355 at Nassau Coliseum into a frenzy as the defending champion Blues skated off toward their locker room. Griess made 21 saves for the win.
“We stayed with it and we got rewarded at the end,” Islanders coach Barry Trotz said. ”We were playing the Stanley Cup champions. They know how to win. That was really good test for us.”
Goals from Brayden Schenn and Vladimir Tarasenko had given the Blues a 2-0 lead.
The Blues opened the scoring at 6:48 of the first when Schenn finished off a stellar passing sequence to extend his goal-scoring streak to five games. Schenn tipped the puck past Greiss for his fifth goal this season. Defenseman Justin Faulk and forward Jaden Schwartz assisted. Schenn is tied with Ryan O'Reilly for the team lead with seven points.