The Islanders are carrying a little momentum into Ottawa, and Bo Horvat is carrying even more of the load.
New York’s 3-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks did more than just add two points to the ledger. It also extended Horvat’s blistering start, with the Islanders captain picking up a secondary assist on Kyle Palmieri’s first goal of the season. That push kept Horvat right in the middle of everything, and his early-season production has been impossible to miss.
Through six games, Horvat has been the Islanders’ most productive player by far. He leads the team with four goals and seven points, and he has registered at least one point in every game so far. That’s the longest opening-point streak of his career, and it’s also the longest such run by an Islanders forward since Kyle Okposo opened the 2009 season with a six-game streak.
“I don't think it’s anything I've changed or anything like that,” Horvat said, via Tyler Millen of NHL.com. “Obviously, just trying to create as many opportunities offensively as I can and capitalizing on those opportunities too. So thankfully they've been going in so far, but it'd be nice to keep it going.”
He’s also tied for third on the team with three assists, alongside Brayden Schenn. Matthew Schaefer leads the Islanders with six assists, while Matias Maccelli and Logan Stanley each have four. Horvat’s goal scoring has come with some extra punch, too: three of his four goals have come on the power play, which leaves him with the second-most power-play goals in the league to this point.
That kind of start is exactly why Horvat was named the 16th captain in franchise history, and why the Islanders are leaning on him so heavily right now. He’s producing, but he’s also filling the two-way role the team needs from him.
Now comes a tougher test. The Islanders’ two-game road trip north of the border begins against an Ottawa team that is 5-2 and gets plenty of help in goal from Linus Ullmark. The Vezina Trophy winner is off to a 5-0-0 start with a .948 save percentage and a 1.27 goals-against average.
If Horvat keeps the streak alive at seven straight games, and especially if he does it with another goal, he’ll have more than justified the hot start. For the Islanders, that kind of production would go a long way in a tricky spot.
In Other News...
Senators Suddenly Have A Scoring Void A Former Canadien Could Fill
The Senators attack took a hit when William Eklund went in for surgery on a torn tendon, and the timing could hardly be worse for a team looking to keep its offense moving. Eklund is expected to miss 10 to 12 weeks, leaving Ottawa with a noticeable scoring gap at a spot where finishers matter and where the power play can tilt games one way or the other.
That is why Patrik Laine has entered the conversation, with his camp and the Senators having discussed a possible fit. Laine would make sense as a shooter who could plug into the man advantage and give Ottawa another dangerous option, but there is still no agreement in place, and for now the idea remains just that - an idea the Senators may keep weighing as they look for help up front. [Read more 🡒]
Senators May Be Running Out Of Time To Fix Backup Goalie Trouble
The Senators backup goaltending situation has become one of those roster puzzles that can linger quietly until it starts to affect everything around it. Samuel Ersson has struggled in limited work this season, and Ottawa has another option in Jonas Johansson, a goalie with NHL experience behind Andrei Vasilevskiy but a track record that has been more serviceable than standout. With the schedule demanding steady support behind the starter, the question is no longer whether the Senators have options, but which one gives them the safest path forward.
What makes the decision trickier is the roster math attached to it. Ottawa has to weigh whether to bring Johansson up and change the mix in goal, knowing the club would need a plan if it wants to move Ersson to Belleville, where waivers come into play. For a team trying to avoid a crease problem turning into a larger depth issue, the next move could say a lot about how aggressively it wants to solve the backup spot before it becomes harder to ignore. [Read more 🡒]
Senators May Have Found An Answer In This Injury Shuffle
William Eklunds injury left Ottawa with a hole to fill, and Travis Green responded by shuffling the forward groups in a way that gave the Senators a different look against the Islanders. Stephen Halliday was bumped to the left side of the top line, while Ridly Greig slid into the middle on the fourth line, a tweak that helped settle the group in a tight game that the Senators eventually won 2-1 in a shootout.
The changes were more than just temporary patchwork, because Ottawa needed some kind of answer after losing a key winger and Greens lineup choices immediately put familiar names in unfamiliar spots. Hallidays promotion and Greigs move down the lineup gave the Senators a new center of gravity on a night when structure mattered, and it will be worth watching whether this alignment sticks as the team tries to navigate the weeks ahead without Eklund. [Read more 🡒]