NEW YORK _ The Islanders looked as if they were going to follow up their loss at Buffalo Thursday night by making it back-to-back setbacks.
They were down by three goals with less than six minutes left in the third, then staffed a miracle comeback by scoring four goals on one power play to take the lead, only to see Detroit tie the game with 29 seconds left.
But Brock Nelson scored his third of the game with 1:45 left in overtime to give the Isles a stunning 7-6 win Friday night at Barclays Center.
The Islanders were down 5-2 when Tyler Bertuzzi took a five-minute penalty for slashing Cal Clutterbuck. The Isles responded with four goals in 3:37. Nelson, Anders Lee, Nick Leddy and Josh Bailey scored them, Bailey's with 1:49 left in regulation. But Mike Green tied it with a tip in from in front.
Mathew Barzal, who had five assists, set up Nelson's game-winner.
Anthony Mantha, Martin Frk and Henrik Zetterberg scored against Thomas Greiss in the opening 20 minutes.
Jordan Eberle beat Petr Mrazek to cut the lead to 3-1 in the second period. Nelson cut it to a one-goal deficit on a deflection 3:02 into the third.
But Greiss gave up a very bad goal at 7:42 when Frans Nielsen's shot somehow got through him and Darren Helm tapped in the puck. When Greiss gave up a power-play goal to Niklas Kronwall on a point drive 2:12 later, it was 5-2 and Jaroslav Halak came on to replace Greiss.
