This season has brought an unexpected opportunity: the Islanders are set to face the Lightning on Saturday afternoon, vying for a chance to take the lead in the Eastern Conference.
The recent game against Anaheim was promising for the Islanders, who came away with a 5-2 win at UBS Arena. However, there was some bad news—Bo Horvat left the game in the second period due to what appeared to be a left foot injury and did not return. The Islanders reported it as a lower-body issue, so it seems likely they’ll be without their top scorer for the upcoming match.
Coach Patrick Roy mentioned later that while the situation isn’t ideal, it seems they avoided a worst-case scenario, as Horvat is considered day-to-day.
In a related note, Carolina’s shootout victory over the Capitals allowed the Islanders to climb to third place overall in the Metropolitan Division and Eastern Conference, just a point behind both teams.
“That says a lot,” said Anders Lee. “We came in knowing what was happening around us, all the changes and new players. Everyone stepped up and did their part. It’s been a hard-fought effort.”
“We haven’t let things get too out of hand. We haven’t fallen too far away or anything like that. I think the team has really come together,” he added.
Despite the victory, Thursday’s game had its tense moments.
The Islanders started strong with a 3-0 lead after the first period, but that was cut to 3-1 by the second intermission. Then, just 2:37 into the third period, Troy Terry scored for Anaheim, closing the gap to one point.
Ryan Poling retrieved a loose puck off the wall and handed it to Terry, who scored quickly in front of the net.
Not long after, Simon Holmstrom increased the lead, darting past Oren Zellweger and converting with a clever forehand-backhand maneuver against Ville Husso.
Roy expressed satisfaction with Holmstrom’s performance. “When you lose a player like Bo, you can’t replicate what he brings, but the team has to adapt and step up. That’s what I saw tonight,” he said.
With just over five minutes left, Ryan Purock scored from the right point, marking his first goal of the season after it deflected off Chris Kreider for a 5-2 lead.
By the end of the first, the Islanders led 3-0 thanks to some surprising contributions from Travis Mitchell and the second power play unit.
Mitchell, who had joined the team as an undrafted free agent in 2023 and was called up a couple of weeks ago to fill in for the injured Alexander Romanov, netted his first NHL point in just his seventh game. He scored at 8:18 of the first period, capitalizing on a missed shot by Scott Mayfield.
“As a kid, the dream is to score in the NHL,” Mitchell reflected, noting his intention to give the puck to his parents. “It feels incredible to finally accomplish that.”
Anders Lee added another goal shortly after, followed by a third just before the period closed. Both of these came during power plays, crafted from Tony DeAngelo’s initial shot.
While the win was uplifting, Horvat’s injury cast a shadow over what could have been a hugely confidence-boosting victory.
Horvat isn’t just the top scorer on the team with 19 goals; no other player has managed more than 10. He’s having a standout season in Long Island and is crucial to the team’s aspirations for a championship run.
The silver lining is that injuries are, unfortunately, part of the game. Still, losing him for any match could be quite detrimental.
