Mathew Barzal caps another NY Islanders’ comeback with overtime winner in St. Louis

The New York Islanders refused to quit Tuesday night in St. Louis, rallying from a three-goal deficit before Mathew Barzal delivered the knockout punch in overtime to secure a dramatic 4-3 victory over the St. Louis Blues.

Barzal finished with a goal and two assists, scoring the winner 2:11 into overtime. Taking a pass from newly acquired Brayden Schenn, Barzal carried the puck into the zone, cut around Jordan Kyrou and fired a shot past Joel Hofer high on the glove side.

“That was a phenomenal goal,” Islanders coach Patrick Roy said. “What a move he put out there and then the quality of the shot right in the corner.”

The win capped an emotional night for Schenn, who faced the Blues for the first time after being traded to New York last week. The former St. Louis captain received a standing ovation and video tribute during the first period.

Despite controlling stretches of play, the Islanders found themselves trailing 3-0 after goals from Philip Broberg, Dylan Holloway and Jimmy Snuggerud.

A turning point came late in the second period when Jean-Gabriel Pageau cut the deficit to 3-1, finishing a rebound after a shot from rookie defenseman Matthew Schaefer.

“That goal by Pager got us going,” Schenn said. “That’s a huge goal for us heading into the third.”

The comeback accelerated in the third period when a double-minor penalty to Pavel Buchnevich gave the Islanders a four-minute power play. Calum Ritchie scored first to make it 3-2 before Bo Horvat blasted a one-timer from the slot to tie the game moments later.

The Islanders carried that momentum into overtime, where Barzal finished the job.

“It was an important win for us,” Roy said. “Those power-play goals were key and helped us get right back in the game.”

The Islanders are one point behind Pittsburgh for 2nd in the Metro and return home on Friday night to battle the Los Angeles Kings.