Connor, Lowry each has 2 points, Jets recover to defeat Islanders

Emile Heineman had a goal and an assist, and Anthony Duclair, Kyle MacLean and Matthew Schaefer scored for the Islanders (25-16-5), whose four-game point streak ended (3-0-1). Ilya Sorokin made 17 saves.

“We weren’t able to hold that tie for the time being and get out of that second period,” MacLean said. “But I think it was good that we clawed back after that three-goal deficit.”

Connor gave the Jets a 1-0 lead at 4:20 of the first period. He lifted the stick of New York forward Mathew Barzal to get the rebound of Alex Iafallo‘s initial point shot and slid the puck past Sorokin from in front.

“You’ve got to have confidence in those (one-goal) games,” Scheifele said. “You can’t just sit back and expect the time to just run out. You’ve got to keep pushing and doing the things that got you to that point. I thought we did a good job of that tonight.”

Morrissey made it 2-0 at 5:41 of the second period with a wrist shot from between the circles through traffic.

“We know what we did prior to the last three games (0-7-4 in previous 11 games), and we are making some hay in the last three and that is what is most important,” Arniel said. “Just keep grinding and finding a way to get points. It is going to take this, even more of it, going into a tough building next in Minnesota (on Thursday)… Earlier on we didn’t get the results we were after, but the last three have certainly been a lot better.”

Toews pushed the lead to 3-0 just 42 seconds later while on a power play at 6:23. Gabriel Vilardi‘s shot from the left face-off circle hit off Toews and dropped in the crease, where he swiped it over the goal line for his third goal in as many games.

“Tonight got away from us a little bit there in the second (period), but a good response,” DeMelo said. “We were able to get the lead, we made it a little interesting at the end there, but we did a good job in the third overall of not giving them many looks.”

The Islanders scored three goals in a span of 2:41 to get back into the game.

Duclair cut the deficit to 3-1 at 7:40. Anders Lee backhanded a pass to Duclair in the right circle and he scored with a wrist shot to the short side that squeaked through Hellebuyck.

“After they went up three, we put in three pretty quick,” Lee said. “And then they responded to us. I thought that going into the third period tonight it was going to be one of those games where we find a way, and we just got within one with not enough time. We ran out of time a little bit.”

Heineman brought New York to within 3-2 when he scored on a penalty shot at 8:58, lifting a backhander over the left pad of Hellebuyck.

“I mean, I thought that we had some really good chances,” Islanders coach Patrick Roy said. “Penalty shot, (and) right after a great shot by [MacLean]… So, it was probably the kind of night that there was a lot of traffic and it was challenging for the goalies.”

MacLean tied it 3-3 at 10:21, snapping Casey Cizikas‘ pass from behind the net over Hellebuyck’s blocker from the slot.

“[MacLean] scored a nice goal, had a great chance right before that,” Roy said. “That line (MacLean, Cizikas, and Marc Gatcomb) played really well. I love the energy that they bring to the team, and they have an identity and they play with it.”

DeMelo put Winnipeg back up 4-3 at 12:23. Scheifele dug the puck out of the right corner and fed it to DeMelo, who used Nino Niederreiter as a screen to beat Sorokin with a long-distance wrist shot. The Islanders challenged for goaltender interference, but an official video review confirmed the goal. Scheifele’s assist was his 500th in the NHL.

Scheifele appeared to make it 5-3 with a power-play goal at 18:18, but officials ruled he hit the puck into the net with his left hand.

“Defensively, we have to be better, there’s no question about it,” Lee said. “We know that in this room. It wasn’t our best tonight. You put in (four) goals and it’s not enough to get a point. We made some mistakes on the back-end tonight as a group, and we can fix that.”

Lowry did put the Jets up 5-3 at 19:40 when he tipped Neal Pionk‘s shot from the left point past Sorokin.

“We were pretty lively on the bench,” DeMelo said. “Even when they scored to make it 3-1, 3-2, we were like ‘OK, let’s just go back at them and be on our toes,’ because if you’re just going to sit back in this League, you’re just going to give the other team momentum. I thought our bench was really good, guys were positive and encouraging each other. At the end of the day, whatever happens, you’ve got to bury it. Put it in the past and move on and got to win your next shift.”