The Columbus Blue Jackets flipped the script late. The Blue Jackets scored three goals in just 3:27 in the third period to stun the New York Islanders 4–2 on Sunday night at Nationwide Arena, earning back-to-back wins for the first time since December 4. Ivan Provorov jump-started the comeback, Kirill Marchenko buried the game-winner for his second goal of the night, and Cole Sillinger sealed it with an empty-netter to shut the door. One month after losing 3–2 to the Islanders on Long Island, Columbus responded in a four-point Metropolitan Division battle with a statement finish.
Game Summary
1st Period – Tied 1–1
Columbus struck first midway through the opening period. At 8:09, Kirill Marchenko opened the scoring with his 12th goal of the season, breaking in alone and sliding a wrist shot five-hole on David Rittich to give the Blue Jackets a 1–0 lead. It marked the 20th time this season Columbus scored first, improving their record in those games to 12-4-4. Mason Marchment picked up the assist, continuing his strong start with the team with four points in three games.
The Islanders answered late in the period. At 17:16, Max Shabanov tied the game 1–1 after Jet Greaves stopped an initial shot from Jean-Gabriel Pageau with his right shoulder. The rebound popped straight up and deflected into the net off Shabanov’s knee. The goal was reviewed for a potential kicking motion but was upheld.
Marchenko extended his goal streak to back-to-back games, and Columbus clearly controlled the pace of play in the first period, outshooting New York 15–9. The main reason the game remained tied after 20 minutes was Rittich, who made several key saves to keep the Islanders in it.
Rittich entered the night coming off a shutout win against the Rangers and suffered his first regulation loss as a starter in his last five games (3-1-1). He has been outstanding this season, posting a 1.60 goals-against average and a .940 save percentage over that stretch, allowing four or more goals only twice all year.
2nd Period – Islanders Take Control (NYI 2–1)
The second period had a clear storyline, and Mason Marchment played the role of the villain.
Just 1:37 into the period, Marchment was called for tripping Matthew Schaefer, continuing the physical edge after he ended the first period with a roughing penalty against the Islanders’ rookie. The situation quickly escalated. Mathew Barzal came to Schaefer’s defense, slashing Marchment with a two-handed swing. Barzal was assessed a five-minute major for slashing along with a 10-minute game misconduct, as the Islanders clearly took exception to Marchment going after their young star.
Columbus had a golden opportunity to take control, receiving a five-minute power play that included a brief 5-on-3 advantage, but the Blue Jackets failed to capitalize. That missed chance proved costly.
Momentum shifted back to New York, and at 13:24, Bo Horvat made Columbus pay. Following a turnover in the neutral zone involving Dante Fabbro and Ivan Provorov, Horvat jumped on the loose puck, beat Fabbro wide, and snapped a wrist shot past Jet Greaves for his 20th goal of the season, giving the Islanders a 2–1 lead.
New York controlled the pace for much of the period, outshooting Columbus 11–6, and both teams finished the frame 0-for on the power play. After 40 minutes, the Islanders carried a 2–1 advantage into the third.
3rd Period – Columbus Completes Stunning Rally (CBJ 4–2)
Columbus did something Sunday night they had not done once all season.
Entering the third period, the Blue Jackets were 0-9-0 when trailing after two periods. That changed in a hurry. What looked like another loss turned into a statement win as Columbus exploded for three unanswered goals in a span of just 3:27, scoring at 15:27, 16:41, and 18:54 to flip the game.
The comeback started with Ivan Provorov, who tied the game 2–2 at 15:27 with his fifth goal of the season. Provorov fired a shot from the blue line that deflected off an Islanders defenseman and past David Rittich. While Denton Mateychuk and Sean Monahan were credited with the assists, Dmitri Voronkov made the play possible, winning a hard battle behind the net to free the puck and feed Monahan before the puck moved back to the point.
Just 1:14 later, Kirill Marchenko struck again. Marchenko blew past the Islanders defense with speed and finished with a backhand shot to score his second goal of the night, his 13th of the season, and the game-winner. The puck slipped inside the post and past Rittich, a goal the Islanders goaltender would likely want back.
With New York pressing late, Cole Sillinger sealed the comeback with an empty-net goal at 18:54, completing the rally and sending Nationwide Arena into celebration.
The Islanders, playing the second night of a back-to-back, clearly ran out of gas in the final frame. Columbus took full advantage, outshooting New York 14–6 in the third period and finishing the night with 35 shots on goal in a 4–2 win that snapped their winless streak when trailing after two periods.
From the Locker Room
Kirill Marchenko
“We’re just trying to find our way,” Marchenko said. “We communicate a lot, and we do it for each other. It’s nice when you can score late in the game and get rewarded for that.”
Marchenko also pointed to the situation in the third period.
“They were on a back-to-back, and we knew they might slow down a bit. We just tried to push, give everything we had, and stay on it.”
Mason Marchment
“That’s a great hockey play right there,” Marchment said of Ivan Provorov’s tying goal. “We got two guys to the net, screened the goalie, and Provy did a great job getting the puck through. That’s how goals are scored in this league, and we really needed that one.”
Marchment also praised the energy inside Nationwide Arena.
“I loved the way we played in the third period. That was awesome. The fans were into it, and that made it even better.”
Adam Fantilli
“We got to our game early, and I really liked the way our line played,” Fantilli said of skating with Marchment and Marchenko. “There were a lot of line mismatches with penalties and stuff, but I liked how we kept getting back to our game every time.”
Fantilli added, “We played hard, we played fast, we played the right way, and it really benefited us.”
NOTES:
• Marchment has three goals and an assist in three games since being acquired from the Seattle Kraken on Dec. 19.
• Mateychuk has four assists in the past three games.
• Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski (lower body) missed his second straight game and was placed on injured reserve retroactive to Dec. 20.
• Columbus forward Mathieu Olivier had six hits, two shots, two blocked shots, and a takeaway in 13:53 of ice time in his return after missing 13 games with an upper-body injury.
Game Stats
| NYI | CBJ | |
| Shots on Goal | 26 | 35 |
| Faceoff % | 55.9 | 44.1 |
| Power Play | 0/2 | 0/4 |
| Penalty Minutes | 21 | 8 |
| Hits | 15 | 25 |
| Blocked Shots | 20 | 18 |
| Giveaways | 12 | 20 |
| Takeaways | 5 | 4 |
Columbus Players – Stat Lines
• Marchenko — 2 G, 2 PTS | TOI: 21:18 | 5 SOG
• Monahan — 0 G, 2 A, 2 PTS | TOI: 17:14 | 2 SOG
• Mateychuk — 0 G, 2 A, 2 PTS | TOI: 26:28 | 2 SOG
• Provorov — 1 G, 1 PTS | TOI: 26:56 | 2 SOG
• Marchment — 0 G, 1 A, 1 PT | TOI: 19:01
• Fantilli — 0 G, 1 A, 1 PT | TOI: 22:35 | 8 SOG
• Olivier — 0 PTS | TOI: 13:53 | 6 HITS
• Greaves — 24 SV | .923 SV%
Three Stars of the Game
⭐ Kirill Marchenko (CBJ) — 2 G
⭐⭐ Ivan Provorov (CBJ) — 1 G
⭐⭐⭐ Jet Greaves (CBJ) — 24 saves, .923 SV%
Takeaway of the Game
This was a statement win for Columbus in terms of mindset and execution. After failing to score on a long 5-on-3 earlier in the game, the Blue Jackets could have easily sagged, especially trailing heading into the third period — a situation that had burned them all season. Instead, they stayed patient, kept pressure on a tired Islanders team playing the second night of a back-to-back, and trusted their structure.
The late three-goal burst was driven by Kirill Marchenko, who scored twice including the game-winner, while Sean Monahan and Denton Mateychuk contributed two assists each. The return of Mathieu Olivier added a physical element with six hits, and Jet Greaves was solid in net, making 24 saves to keep Columbus within reach before the rally. It all added up to the Blue Jackets’ first comeback win of the season when trailing after two periods — a clear sign of growth moving forward.
Next Game:
Columbus returns to action tonight on the second half of a back-to-back, visiting the Ottawa Senators. Puck drop is set for 7:00 PM EDT.
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