Islanders 5, Jets 4 (SO)
WINNIPEG -- The New York Islanders defeated the Winnipeg Jets, 5-4, in a shootout on Saturday, with John Tavares scored the winner in the shootout by beating goalie Ondrej Pavelec through the legs.
The crafty center was held off the scoresheet during regulation play.
The Islanders (24-16-5) have earned points in 10 straight games and are 11-1-2 in their last 14 games.
The Jets (23-19-3) had been riding a five-game winning streak, all at home.
Bryan Little tied the game, 4-4, with a power-play goal late in the third period for Winnipeg. The Jets' top center took a pass in his skates from Andrew Ladd, kicked the puck to his stick and beat Islanders' goalie Evgeni Nabokov at 17:59.
Both clubs had spectacular chances to score in overtime.
Jets' blueliner Grant Clitsome, all alone in the slot, hit the goal post, while Pavelec stopped Matt Moulson with a sliding save in the final minute.
Frans Nielsen, Josh Bailey, Matt Martin and Michael Grabner scored for New York.
Diminutive center Kyle Wellwood scored two second-period goals for Winnipeg, while Zach Bogosian also scored for the Jets.
The Islanders opened the scoring 4:21 into the first period when Nielsen took a pass from Kyle Okposo and whipped a low shot through the legs of Pavelec for his sixth goal of the year.
Just over six minutes later, blueliner Zach Bogosian hammered a slapshot that beat Nabokov cleanly to even the score, 1-1.
But the Isles' second line cashed in again before the period was over when Josh Bailey, set up nicely by Okposo, scored his 10th goal with a quick shot through Pavelec's pads.
New York built a 3-1 lead when Martin scored his fourth of the season at the 9:47 mark of the middle frame.
But Wellwood notched two goals in less than three minutes, the first coming on a rebound and the second on a breakaway, as the Winnipeg pulled even, 3-3.
Both times the veteran center showed patience and waited for Nabokov to make a move before firing the puck high into the net.
The Jets thought Wellwood had the hat-trick goal on a two-man advantage, but replays showed the puck entered the net right after the period ended.
Grabner scored at 9:13 of the third period, busting to the front of the net and redirecting a pass from the corner by Andrew MacDonald into the net.
Little's power-play goal to tie the game came only seven seconds after Lubomir Visnovsky was called for interference.
NOTES: Jets' center Olli Jokinen was injured early in the first period and did not return. He entered the game one goal shy of 300 and three points short of 700 for his NHL career. ... The Jets will play their next two games on the road against Buffalo and Washington before ending the regular season at home against the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday. ... The Islanders close out the 2013 campaign with road games in Carolina, Philadelphia and Buffalo. ... Winnipeg has not allowed a power-play goal in seven straight home games, killing off 16 straight during that stretch. ... New York a 3-5-2 road record, on pace for the best mark in franchise history. ... Islanders' winger Matt Martin leads the league with 216 hits. During the 2011-12 season, he also led the NHL with 374 hits, the highest total since hits became an official league statistic in 2005-06. ... The Islanders are 16-3-3 this season when scoring the first goal of the game.
