WINNIPEG — Casey Cizikas and Jordan Eberle scored 33 seconds apart in the final two minutes of the third period to propel the New York Islanders to a 5-4 win over the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday.
Cizikas took advantage when Winnipeg couldn't clear the puck and scored at 18:14 to make it 4-4. Eberle recorded his second goal of the game at 18:47 when he got into the crease and beat Connor Hellebuyck.
Eberle also picked up an assist and Ryan Pulock had three assists. Mathew Barzal ended a 19-game goalless drought with his 11th of the season for the Islanders (45-26-7).
Anders Lee scored his 28th for New York, which moved two points ahead of Pittsburgh and into second place in the Metropolitan Division. The Islanders are three points back of Washington.
Robin Lehner stopped 33 shots for the Isles, who are 4-4 in their last eight games.
Adam Lowry and Brandon Tanev each had three-point outings for Winnipeg. Lowry scored twice and added one assist, while Tanev had one goal and a pair of assists.
Mark Scheifele recorded his 36th goal of the season for the Jets and Nathan Beaulieu and Jacob Trouba each contributed a pair of assists.
Hellebuyck made 39 saves for Winnipeg (45-28-4), which is two points ahead of idle Nashville for first place in the Central Division.
The third-line duo of Lowry and Tanev sparked Winnipeg to a 2-0 lead.
Lowry put the Jets up 1-0 just 13 seconds into the game when Tanev's wraparound led to a rebound and the puck went off Lowry's skate. A review showed no kicking motion.
Lowry then netted his 11th goal of the season when he redirected a Trouba shot past Lehner at 6:11 of the first.
Barzal broke his scoring drought four minutes later with a quick shot from the slot that beat Hellebuyck on the blocker side to make it 2-1.
While a pair of Islanders each had a stick break, Tanev took advantage of their misfortune to score his first goal in 18 games at 3:46 of the second period.
New York soon had a two-man advantage for 1:32. Sixty-one seconds into it, Lee tipped a Pulock blast to cut Winnipeg's lead to 3-2 at 6:06.
The Islanders ended the middle period with their fourth power play of the game that carried over into the third, but didn't deliver the equalizer.
Winnipeg used its third power play of the game for Scheifele's tip of a Trouba shot at 6:46 of the third, but Eberle buried a rebound 63 seconds later for the 4-3 score.
The Jets came up empty on a power play with six minutes remaining, then Hellebuyck made a snapping glove save on Eberle with three minutes to go.
Winnipeg finishes a four-game homestand (1-2) Saturday when it plays its final game of the regular season at Bell MTS Place against Montreal. The Islanders return home to host Buffalo the same day.
Judy Owen, The Canadian Press
