Islanders top Blue Jackets in shootout

COLUMBUS -- When Ryan Strome scored 56 seconds into the game for the New York Islanders, they might have thought a second straight laugher was in the works.
The Columbus Blue Jackets dispelled that notion and the Islanders needed a shootout goal by Cal Clutterbuck in a 3-2 win in Nationwide Arena on Tuesday.
The Islanders (28-18-6) have won all four games against the Blue Jackets this season.

Columbus rookie goaltender Joonas Korpisalo proved again that it will be a hard decision to send him back to the minors when starter Sergei Bobrovsky and backup Curtis McElhinney return from injuries. Korpisalo made a career-high 44 saves, including 15 in the third period and seven in overtime. Columbus was outshot 39-19 after the first period.
"I've had over 30 shots almost every game," Korpisalo said. "It's fun. You get into the game early. You get used to the puck. There's on breaks but you prepare your mind and body."

Anders Lee scored and Frans Nielsen scored the other shootout goal for New York. Goalie Jaroslav Halak made 29 saves. Alex Wennberg scored the shootout goal for Columbus (21-28-6).
New York has now won two straight games after defeating the Edmonton Oilers 8-1 on Sunday.
Strome's goal, his first in six games, did not provide any momentum for the Islanders and Cam Atkinson and Brandon Dubinsky each scored to give Columbus a 2-1 lead after the first period.
"I didn't have any voice left after the first period," New York coach Jack Capuano said. "It was embarrassing the way we played. The compete level was non-existent and I told them it was unacceptable."

Atkinson, who had a hat trick in Columbus' last home game on Jan. 25 against the Montreal Canadiens, tied the score at 7:45 of the first with a rebound off of a Dubinsky shot that went through a crowd and over the shoulder of Halak. Atkinson now has 18 goals this season.
Atkinson set up Dubinsky's 12th of the season at 11:26 by forcing Islanders defenseman Travis Hamonic into a neutral zone turnover. Atkinson led the 2-on-1 down the left side, faked a shot, and then fed Dubinsky through the slot for a one-timer before Halak could react.
"It was one of those nights where we didn't really have our legs," Lee said. "We didn't start strong at all. We had to battle to get things going. We found enough to get 45 shots on net.

"We came in after the first and said we really have to bear down here. We had to keep it simple. On nights you're not feeling good you have to do that."
The second period belonged to Korpisalo, who made three of his 17 saves in the first minute. He is 6-1-2 in his past nine starts.
"It's terrific what's going on with him," Columbus coach John Tortorella said. "For him and the organization, for now, for the future, we need to stay within ourselves, though. It's a small sample, 16 games, I think. He has a lot to learn. The thing you can't teach is his mental approach, his mental toughness
"Whether it's a good play or a bad play, it's flat line as far as his concentration."

Lee's power-play goal at 3:55 of the third, his eighth of the season, tied the score at 2-2. Lee slipped a backhander though the pads of Korpisalo after a pass from Kyle Okposo, who played is 500th NHL game, all with the Islanders.
"The second and third periods we started taking the game over," Clutterbuck said. "Obviously they're a desperate team over there. They're kind of struggling, so they're working as hard as they can."
Columbus was unable to extend their one-goal lead in the third in part because of their performance in the faceoff circle. The Islanders won 18 of 27 faceoffs.
"The third period was tough for us," Dubinsky said. "We were losing a lot of faceoffs so they were having a lot of possession time in our zone."