Winning Thoughts: Blue Jackets return the favor to Islanders

After CBJ wins, we'll give three takeaways about what stood out or what we'll remember from the Blue Jackets' victory.

BLUE JACKETS 4, ISLANDERS 2

1. The Blue Jackets gave the Islanders a taste of their own medicine with the comeback victory.

On Nov. 2, Columbus traveled to Long Island and grinded its way through the second half of a back-to-back with tired legs, holding a 2-1 lead late in the third period before the Islanders shocked the Blue Jackets with two goals in the final 1:07 to escape with a victory.

As Michael Scott would say, “Well, well, well, how the turntables...”

Sunday night in Nationwide Arena, it was New York that was playing its second game in two days with heavy legs, but the Islanders had done enough to hold a 2-1 lead late in the third period before the game changed seemingly in an instant.

First, the Blue Jackets won a puck with a tremendous forecheck before Ivan Provorov took a quick shot from the center point that appeared to go off the leg of Isles defenseman Scott Mayfield and pinged through the wickets of goalie David Rittich to tie the score with 4:33 left.

Just 1:14 later, Columbus had the lead, as Adam Fantilli fed Kirill Marchenko into the zone with speed. Just left of the slot, Marchenko put the puck on his backhand and somehow snuck a shot between Rittich and the near post that trickled in.

Add in Cole Sillinger’s empty-net goal with 1:06 to go and the Blue Jackets had a key revenge win against a Metropolitan Division foe.

“We lost one kind of in similar fashion there in November and probably should have had the two points there, but I think what goes around comes around, I guess,” Provorov said. “I’m just glad we got the win, and hopefully it’s gonna give us a little boost for the next few games.”

As Provorov mentioned, perhaps this could be a turning point for the Blue Jackets. Columbus was 7-4-0 before that loss on Long Island, which kicked off a stretch of just eight wins in 25 games. It'll be up to the Blue Jackets to make this win a line in the sand in a good way, with their next chance coming Monday in Ottawa.

2. The top line of Fantilli, Marchenko and Mason Marchment was too much to handle for the Islanders.

It’s taken Marchment just three games to feel like an indispensable part of the Blue Jackets, or at least a major straw the stirs the drink. He didn’t become the first player in CBJ history to score in his opening three games with the team, but he had an assist, a role in the game’s major fracas and was on a line that dominated play.

According to Natural Stat Trick, that top trio had a 20-5 edge in shot attempts at 5-on-5, a 13-2 edge in shots on goal and an 82.9 percent goal share – not to mention Marchenko’s two tallies.

Yet in Marchment’s mind, they could have done even more given the offensive opportunities they created.

“We had a lot of chances tonight,” he said. “It could have easily been a different kind of game, but we gotta bear down and take advantage when we get those chances. We’re really working for each other, and there was a lot of really, really good looks tonight. Just (have to) build on it.”

Yet the Blue Jackets got the job done when it counted, including with Marchenko’s winner. It marked his third goal in two games and gave him 12 multigoal games in his CBJ career, tied for seventh in franchise history.

“I have good speed and I just make a quick – not maybe quick, but I made a decision I want to go around him, but the D (did) a good job,” Marchenko said. “I decide to shoot from the backhand. It works sometimes, and I am happy it worked today. When you shoot from backhand, it’s always a surprise for the goalie.”

3. The Nationwide Arena crowd truly was The 5th Line tonight.

A sellout crowd of 18,223 headed downtown amid unseasonably warm temperatures to enjoy what turned into a huge victory, and it’s fair to say they played their part.

As the Blue Jackets surged trying to tie the game in the third, the energy built in the downtown barn. When Provorov tied it, the roar was palpable. When Marchenko tallied the winner, it was darn near deafening. And by the final cannon blast, CBJ fans had been a difference maker.

“Since I’ve been here I think we’ve had great crowds, great support,” Provorov said. “Obviously the fans bring a lot of energy to this building, and their support was definitely noticeable today.”

Head coach Dean Evason said he was left with “goosebumps” at times by the energy, crediting the crowd for sticking with the Blue Jackets even when they weren’t on their game in the second period.

"We felt fantastic with how jacked (the fans) were,” he said. “It was such a good crowd. The first period we were energized, and then we let them down in the second, but thankfully we picked it back up in the third."