Shane Pinto delivered the deciding punch in the shootout, and the Ottawa Senators escaped with a 2-1 win over the New York Islanders on Thursday night.
Ottawa got there behind Ridly Greig’s regulation goal and a strong night from Linus Ullmark, who turned aside 20 shots to improve to 6-2-0. Ullmark has now won his first six starts of the season.
The Islanders answered with a goal from Matias Maccelli, while Semyon Varlamov, in his second start of the season, stopped 18 shots in the loss for New York, which fell to 3-3-1.
The game’s turning point in overtime came after Adam Pelech was called for hooking with 3:08 left. Varlamov held the line with two saves to keep the Islanders alive, but the pressure didn’t let up.
Dylan Cozens was then whistled for tripping after catching Pelech as he came out of the box and appeared ready to break in on Ullmark. Bo Horvat got the lone shot on the power play.
Ottawa had to claw back from behind after Maccelli put New York in front with 11.2 seconds left in the second period. He stripped Pinto of the puck at the Senators’ blue line, took a couple of strides and snapped a wrist shot past Ullmark.
The Senators’ response came late in the second on a 2-on-1. Warren Foegele carried the rush and sent a cross-ice pass to Greig, who lifted the puck high on the stick side to tie it.
Artem Zub returned to the lineup Thursday and picked up an assist on Greig’s goal. It was Zub’s season debut after missing time with a knee injury suffered in Game 1 of the first round of last season’s playoffs.
Ottawa also had two goals wiped out in the first period. Foegele thought he had opened the scoring, but review showed the puck hit the outside of the crossbar and never crossed the line. Then, a little more than seven minutes later, Stephen Halliday beat Varlamov, but Ottawa was ruled offside after review.
The Senators were also dealt a setback off the ice, with William Eklund undergoing surgery Wednesday to repair a torn tendon in his ankle. He is expected to miss 10 to 12 weeks.
Up next, the Islanders visit the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday, while the Senators head to the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday.
In Other News...
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The timing matters because the Islanders have been searching for offense, and Palmieris first points of the 2026-27 season came at a useful moment. He said the emphasis has been on recovery and on improving his impact on the team, and his performance against the Canucks at least suggests there may be more to come as he settles back in. [Read more 🡒]
Islanders Players Are Learning How To Earn DeBoers Trust Fast
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Islanders Prospect Is Starting To Look Like A Draft Steal
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Dravecky is also being molded by a staff that includes Davison and Dan Girardi, which gives the Islanders a familiar development path to watch as he keeps moving through junior hockey. There is still work to do, as there always is with a young defenseman, but the early signs are encouraging enough that this pick no longer looks like a simple lottery ticket. For an organization always looking to add impact on the blue line, Dravecky is becoming a prospect worth following closely. [Read more 🡒]