• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Grabner gets Isles past Jets

Apr 6, 2012 - 3:15 AM Uniondale, NY (Sports Network) - Michael Grabner scored two goals in the third period, including the game-winner inside the final minute, as the New York Islanders downed the Winnipeg Jets, 5-4, at Nassau Coliseum.

Kyle Okposo added two goals, while Matt Moulson also lit the lamp for the Islanders, who snapped a three-game slide. Al Montoya stopped 21 shots in the victory.

"We're playing for pride here and you obviously want to win any game that you are in no matter what point of the season it is," said Moulson. "It was a good game for us to finish at home on."

Tobias Enstrom, Andrew Ladd, Zach Bogosian and Dustin Byfuglien supplied the offense for Winnipeg, which lost for the second time in three games. Chris Mason made 23 saves in defeat.

Winnipeg trailed, 3-2, entering the third period and managed to knot the game 7:03 into the frame on Bogosian's one-timer from the slot after Chris Thorburn lost the puck while skating towards the net.

The Islanders went back on top with a Grabner penalty shot in which he beat Mason to the stick side with a hard wrister. Grabner received the penalty shot after getting slashed by Byfuglien on a breakaway with 8:15 left in the third.

However, Byfuglien atoned for his mistake 36 seconds later by blasting a slap shot from the high slot that deflected into the net off Montoya's left arm.

It then looked like the game was heading for overtime, but Grabner was able to net the game-deciding goal with 46.8 seconds left when he redirected a Travis Hamonic one-timer from the right point into the top-right corner of the net.

"We didn't quit and it was good character by the group to battle back," Jets forward Evander Kane said. "It's unfortunate the way it ended up with them scoring in the last minute. That's definitely disappointing."

The Islanders jumped out to an early 2-0 lead when Moulson grabbed a turnover near the right boards inside the Jets' zone and quickly wristed a shot into the top-right corner at the 6:38 mark of the first and Okposo finished off a one-timer from the slot a minute and a half later.

But Enstrom fired a one-timer from the right point that deflected off Islanders defenseman Milan Jurcina in front and past Montoya 9:42 into the opening frame and Ladd cleaned up a rebound with 2:52 left in the first to make it a 2-2 game heading into the second period.

New York, though, regained its lead with the lone goal of the second with Okposo's second goal of the contest when he lifted a wrister from the left circle under the crossbar at the 8:41 mark.

Game Notes

Islanders defenseman Steve Staios played in his 1,000th career game...Each team went 0-for-3 on the power play...The Jets will close out their season at home against Tampa Bay on Saturday, while New York heads to Columbus for its final game of the year.