The New York Islanders got the response they needed at home, shaking off a loss to the New York Rangers with a 4-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks.
It didn’t start clean. The Islanders spent part of the opening period killing penalties, but their shorthanded work held up.
Then, once they got their chance on the power play, they made it count immediately. Just five seconds into the man advantage, Bo Horvat buried his third goal of the season after a quick shot from Matthew Schaefer created the rebound.
That goal kept a power play conversation moving in the right direction for New York. Horvat has been a key part of what has looked like an improved unit, and the Islanders are finding ways to score there even without Mathew Barzal.
The second period belonged to the Islanders. Emil Heineman made it 2-0 with his second goal of the season, finishing a play set up by Matias Maccelli and Adam Pelech. About three minutes later, Anthony Duclair added another, snapping home his first goal of the season on a sharp feed from Logan Stanley.
Stanley picked up his third assist of the year and continued to look strong alongside Schaefer after the defensive pairs were shuffled.
Chicago pushed hard to open the third period and spent long stretches in the Islanders’ end, but Ilya Sorokin stood tall and kept the game from turning. The Blackhawks eventually got on the board late when, trailing 3-0, they pulled their goalie and Frank Nazar scored on the man advantage.
Horvat answered with an empty-net goal to close it out at 4-1.
Sorokin was again a difference-maker at home. He didn’t get a second straight shutout, but he was a major reason the Islanders controlled the night.
The Islanders have Friday off before hosting the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday night.
In Other News...
Islanders Fans Have A New Puppy Story To Follow This Season
The Islanders spent part of their week at UBS Arena doing more than hockey work, taking part in the 10th annual Pucks and Paws Calendar photo shoot with the Guide Dog Foundation. The project pairs current and future service dogs with players, and the calendar goes on sale Nov. 25 with proceeds supporting the foundations work for veterans, first responders and people who are blind.
It also keeps the teams Puppy with a Purpose tradition rolling along in its seventh year, giving fans another offseason-adjacent storyline to track once the ice gets busier. This latest puppy is just getting started on the path that service-dog candidates follow, and the Islanders are again tying one of their most feel-good community efforts to a cause with a bigger purpose than anything that shows up in the standings. [Read more 🡒]
Islanders Already Face A Depth Problem Four Games Into The Season
Four games into the season, the Islanders are already trying to patch together a lineup that has been hit from several directions. Mat Barzal is still working his way back from a knee injury after missing training camp, and the blue line has taken another hit with Isaiah George suffering a long-term injury in a recent game. For a team built around structure and depth, that kind of early attrition puts pressure on every pairing and every line combination far sooner than anyone expected.
The timing is especially awkward because the injury list keeps growing before the schedule has even settled in. With Alexander Romanov unavailable and the defense already thin, the Islanders do not have much room for error as they sort through replacements and call-up options. And with Bo Horvat also dealing with a head injury, the team is now facing questions up front as well, leaving its depth chart looking a lot shakier than it did just days ago. [Read more 🡒]
Islanders Prospects Big Opportunity Just Took A Brutal Turn
The Hamilton Hammers got a real showcase night in their first home game as the Islanders new AHL affiliate, with more than 14,000 fans packing the building and giving the operation an immediate jolt of buzz. Even in a 5-4 shootout loss to the Toronto Marlies, there was plenty for the organization to like about the setting, which had the feel of an important first step in building the next wave of Islanders depth.
Isaiah Georges night, though, changed the tone quickly. The defenseman left in the second period with an injury, and head coach Jay McKee did not sound optimistic about a quick return, a tough development for a young player who had already dealt with injuries last season. For an Islanders prospect group that needs every meaningful game it can get, losing one of its more interesting blue-line pieces this early is a brutal twist to start the affiliation era. [Read more 🡒]