Islanders 2, Golden Knights 1: Bouncing back

The injuries can’t stop them when Sorokin is in form and the hockey gods are on their side.

Their seven-game overall win streak a thing of the past, the New York Islanders got right back to it with a gutsy 2-1 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights, who lost their fourth in a row while the Isles extended a home win streak to six games.

Ilya Sorokin was the main story and first star, stopping 33 of 34 Vegas shots while the Islanders mounted 14 total. That differential makes it seem a little more lopsided than it was, but the Isles offense struggled to generate much and Sorokin was sharp all night, tracking pucks through traffic and being poised to handle rebounds.

The win pulls the Isles to 25-21-7, three points back of the second wild card spot in the East.

[NHL Gamecenter | Game Summary | Event Summary | Natural Stat Trick]

An early Vegas power play was snuffed out with authority by the 2025 Version of the Islanders penalty kill, allowing Bo Horvat to get the only goal of a low-event first period. As the MSG crew observed during the intermission, the Isles were patient in regrouping and breaking out, and Horvat took advantage of new Knight Brandon Saad to break free down the left wing. It was a nifty move on Ilya Samsonov (who became the villain in the next period when he interfered with an uncalled shoulder to Casey Cizikas’ head).

The second period wasn’t pretty but the Isles and Sorokin hung on while being outshot 14-4 and giving themselves a puncher’s chance going into the third.

It wouldn’t be a 2025 Islanders game without an injury scare, but Tony DeAngelo survived an awkward crash into the boards while being pursued in retrieving the puck. He was fine, and ended up logging 27:34 as Dennis Cholowski (7:25) went completely unused in the third.

Cizikas left the ice for the second intermission ticked at Samsonov (wonder if those two have any history?) and questioning the oblivious officiating crew for ignoring a blatant and pretty dangerous interference.

In the third, Vegas finally broke through, with Saad scooping home a rebound for his first goal in Vegas Puke Gold(TM) to tie it at 1-1 at 7:40. But three minutes later, the Islanders were back on top after Brock Nelson deflected a point shot over Samsonov’s shoulder just seconds after he cruised by the Islanders bench to accept a new stick.

Because this is a totally new Islanders squad, or a new year, or just The Leveling Of The Bounces, the Islanders made that goal stand up, and things didn’t even look all that frightening when Vegas pulled Samsonov for a sixth attacker. Mostly, the Isles kept their shape — even as Simon Holmstrom played a long 5-on-6 stretch without his stick — and Vegas had trouble penetrating down low.

Up Next

This was maybe the most “winnable” game of this tough stretch, though it still came as a third game in four nights following a Florida trip.

But they at least have a couple days before the next one, a visit to Winnipeg that starts a road back-to-back with the Jets and Wild.