Blue Jackets shut out Islanders, keep pace in East wild-card race

COLUMBUS -- The Columbus Blue Jackets remained two points behind for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference with a 4-0 win against the New York Islanders at Nationwide Arena on Tuesday.

Sergei Bobrovsky got his second straight shutout with 26 saves for Columbus (42-30-4), which still trails the Montreal Canadiens following their 6-1 win against the Florida Panthers on Tuesday.
Bobrovsky has three shutouts in four games and an NHL career high eight this season, tying Marc-Andre Fleury of the Vegas Golden Knights for the League lead. Bobrovsky has not allowed a goal in 159:25.
WATCH: [All Islanders vs. Blue Jackets highlights]
"It's a team sport," Bobrovsky said. "I'm part of the team. It's so important how the team played together in front of me and I tried my best to help them win the games."

New York (44-26-7), which was shut out for the third time in its past five games, is three points behind the Washington Capitals for the Metropolitan Division lead and is tied for second place with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Thomas Greiss made 29 saves.
"It was a playoff game, plain and simple," Islanders coach Barry Trotz said. "There's not a lot of room. You've got to create it."
Ryan Dzingel gave the Blue Jackets a 1-0 lead at 5:43 of the first period with a power-play goal, ending Greiss' streak of 80 consecutive saves and a shutout streak of 157:10 against Columbus.

He has a goal in two straight games and 25 for the season between the Blue Jackets (three in 15 games) and the Ottawa Senators (22 in 57 games). Dzingel scored with a wrist shot from the left circle after a pass from Zach Werenski.
"That first goal was huge finding a way, even if you're not feeling 100 percent like the energy seemed to be," Blue Jackets captain Nick Foligno said. "It allowed us to have a little cushion, to allow our game to really take over in the second half."
Bobrovsky made a left pad save at 5:34 of the second period against Casey Cizikas, who was alone after a turnover by Brandon Dubinsky. Cizikas scored on two breakaways in New York's 3-0 win at Columbus on Feb. 14.
"We needed to get that first one by [Bobrovsky]," Islanders captain Anders Lee said. "I think it would have led to at least one more."
Artemi Panarin scored on a breakaway for his first goal in 13 games (Feb. 28) at 2:38 of the third period to make it 2-0.
Oliver Bjorkstrand extended the lead to 3-0 at 11:14 for his 17th goal and second in as many games.

Cam Atkinson scored his 39th goal of the season into an empty net at 19:33 for the 4-0 final. Matt Duchene got his second assist of the game.

They said it

"He's calm back there, makes a lot of saves for them. With a quality goalie like that, you've got to find a way to get more bodies, more pucks there to create havoc." -- Islanders center Brock Nelson on Blue Jackets goalie Sergei Bobrovsky

"Patience was very important. You have to have patience versus the Islanders. I just liked how we checked. We took what they gave us. It was a game of chess as far as who was going to get too anxious or frustrated." -- Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella

Need to know

The Islanders played their first game since forward Andrew Ladd sustained a torn ACL in his left knee during a 2-0 win against the Arizona Coyotes on Sunday. Ladd, who is out for the season, was replaced by forward Michael Dal Colle. … Columbus is three points behind the Carolina Hurricanes for the first wild card in the East after Carolina's 4-1 loss at the Washington Capitals on Tuesday. The Blue Jackets win eliminated Florida from playoff contention. … Werenski left in the third period with an undisclosed injury. Tortorella did not have an update. … Atkinson tied an NHL career high with his 27th assist. … Foligno returned after missing four games to be with his 22-month-old son, Hudson, who had a collapsed lung caused by pneumonia. He is still in the hospital.

What's next

Islanders: At the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday (8 p.m. ET; ESPN+, TSN3, MSG+, NHL.TV)
Blue Jackets: Host the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday (7 p.m. ET; NHLN, FS-O, TSN2, RDS, NHL.TV)