Jets top Islanders with two quick goals in third period

NEW YORK --Jacob Trouba and Adam Lowry scored 22 seconds apart early in the third period, and the Winnipeg Jets won their fourth straight game, 3-1 against the New York Islanders at Barclays Center on Tuesday.

Nikolaj Ehlers scored, and Connor Hellebuyck made 27 saves for the Jets (17-8-2), who completed a three-game sweep of their trip to the New York area.
Winnipeg was without defensemen Dustin Byfuglien, who has been out since Nov. 27 with a concussion, and Josh Morrissey, who was a late scratch because of a lower-body injury.
WATCH: [All Jets vs. Islanders highlights]
"It just kind of shows we're comfortable in any style of game," Lowry said. "I thought we did a real good job of defending tonight. We didn't really give up a whole lot. That's important when you're missing a couple of your stars on the back end."
Anders Lee scored, and Thomas Greiss made 21 saves for the Islanders (13-10-3), who went 0-for-2 on the power play and haven't scored in their past 17 opportunities.

"We've just got to find a way to get on the board," said center Mathew Barzal, who has three goals in 26 games after scoring 22 in 82 games last season when he won the Calder Trophy as the NHL's best rookie. "One goal in the NHL is tough to win with."
Lee made it 1-0 1:33 into the third period. Brock Nelson's redirection of Johnny Boychuk's shot from the right point hit Lee and fell in front of him, and he quickly turned and stuffed it past Hellebuyck for his 10th of the season.
But the Jets quickly responded when Trouba's slap shot from the point deflected off New York forward Casey Cizikas' skate and past Greiss for a power-play goal to make it 1-1 at 3:39.

Lowry then gave the Jets a 2-1 lead at 4:01 on a rebound in front after Greiss made an initial save against Brandon Tanev. It was Lowry's first goal since Oct. 20 against the Arizona Coyotes, ending an 18-game drought.
"It was nice that we were able to go out and score right after [we tied it]," Lowry said. "It had been a while, so it was nice that I didn't miss that one. I've had some chances the last few games, I think. There was a stretch where I wasn't really happy with where my game was going."
The Islanders had a chance to tie the game when Tanev tripped Barzal at 8:57, but the power play was negated 35 seconds later when Lee tripped Tyler Myers behind the Jets net. Ryan Pulock's backhand shot from the left circle during the 4-on-4 situation hit the crossbar at 10:09.
"Power play, I get my stick in there and kind of eliminate that opportunity," Lee said. "We had some chances really, we just didn't capitalize.
"I'm trying to get the puck back. You can't take [the penalty], but it happens."
Ehlers scored an empty-net goal with three seconds left for the 3-1 final score.
"A grinding game," said Winnipeg coach Paul Maurice, whose team played its third game in four days. "I think they had the rest advantage on us, but they accepted the game that was being played and got comfortable."

They said it

"There wasn't much offense to be had in this game here. I thought [by] the end of the second period, we started getting some simpler pucks to the net, like they were doing to us. Both teams were almost playing the exact same game. I don't think we necessarily built in all three [road] games, but we played almost the same period each time. Nine very solid road periods." -- Jets coach Paul Maurice

"They don't get paid to hang in; they're paid to win. But yes, the way we're playing, that'll get us a lot of wins. But we've got to make sure that every moment against good teams in the National Hockey League, they can make you pay if you take the foot of the gas or have a brain cramp. It ends up in the back of your net, especially against the elite players in the League, and they've got a couple of those." -- Islanders coach Barry Trotz

Need to know

Maurice said Morrissey is day to day. … Jets forward Blake Wheeler had an assist on Trouba's goal to extend his point streak to six games (10 points; one goal, nine assists). … Mark Scheifele's five-game point streak ended. … Lee has scored in three straight games and in each of his past six against the Jets. … The Islanders recalled goalie Christopher Gibson from Bridgeport of the American Hockey League to back up Greiss. Trotz said after the morning skate that Robin Lehner "tweaked a little something" and was being held out as a precaution.

What's next

Jets: Host the St. Louis Blues on Friday (8 p.m. ET; NHLN, TSN3, FS-MW, NHL.TV)
Islanders: At the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday (7 p.m. ET; SN1, SNE, SNP, ATTSN-PT, MSG+, NHL.TV)