Brady Tkachuk scored the tiebreaking goal with 12.2 seconds remaining in regulation, as the host Ottawa Senators rallied for a 3-2 victory over the New York Islanders on Thursday night.
Amid a scramble in front of the net, it was Tkachuk who got inside position and jammed the puck by the left skate of Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin (23 saves).
It was the 12th win in the last 17 games for Ottawa (35-24-9, 79 points), which sliced their deficit to four points (behind the Islanders) out of the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
At 2:02 in the third period, New York (39-25-5, 83 points), broke a 1-1 tie when Brayden Schenn took a pass from Simon Holmstrom and one-timed the puck past Ottawa goaltender James Reimer (17 saves).
However, the Senators answered a little more than three minutes later, as Warren Foegele jammed home a bouncing puck from behind the Ottawa net to tie the contest once again.
The Islanders, who had won their previous four trips to Ottawa, entered a winner in eight of the previous 11 overall. Budding New York star Matthew Schaefer scored his 21st goal and became the youngest defenseman to record 50 points at 18 years, 195 days, according to SportsNet.
Each team managed seven shots on goal during a scoreless first period. The Senators generated the period’s best chance, but Islanders defenseman Carson Soucy was sprawled out in the crease behind Sorokin, to keep Thomas Chabot’s attempt from crossing the line with a little less than three minutes to play before the first intermission.
It was the Islanders, then, who struck first at 4:45 into the second period. Off a face-off win, New York worked the puck to Schaefer, who skated to the top of the left circle and unleashed a wrister through traffic and past Riemer.
Ottawa, though, managed to equalize with 9:33 remaining in the middle frame while short-handed. Tyler Kleven sent a long pass along the near boards to Shane Pinto, who broke into the Islanders zone and went short-side to beat Sorokin.
The Senators outshot the Islanders, 11-1, in the final 20 minutes and 26-19 for the game.
