NEW YORK -- Center Anders Lee was credited with the game-winning goal early in the third period Thursday night as the New York Islanders moved closer to clinching a playoff berth by edging the Columbus Blue Jackets, 4-3, at Barclays Center.
Lee was stationed in front of the net when Johnny Boychuk's slap shot bounced off the boards and into the goalmouth. Lee appeared to get his stick on the puck just before it trickled through the legs of Blue Jackets goalie Sergei Bobrovsky at the 5:23 mark.
John Tavares scored twice in the first period and Thomas Hickey also scored in the first for the wild card race-leading Islanders (42-25-9), who won their third in a row to move six points ahead of the ninth-place Detroit Red Wings.