Devils Fall 2-1 as Islanders Win Without Top Scorer Bo Horvat
The Devils got their injured star, Jack Hughes, but it was not enough to power the Devils to a win. The Devils are coming off a 3-1 loss to the suddenly unbeatable Buffalo Sabres. The Islanders are 0-2-1 in their last three games. They are ice cold, not scoring, and clearly missing their leading scorer in Horvat. Do you think the Islanders will turn it around soon?
Devils and Islanders Scoring Summary
The Devils may have lost their last game to the Buffalo Sabres, but they got a big piece back in Jack Hughes. They also caught the reeling Islanders at the right time. Here is a scoring summary of the game.
In the first period, there was only one goal scored. Brett Pesce scored, and the Fevils had a 1-0 lead. They also outshot the Islanders 15-7 in the first period.
In the second period, Simon Holstein scored for the Islanders. That tied the game at 1.
In the third period, Adam Pelech scored, and the Islanders won 2-1.
Horvat Skating with Islanders in Practice
Today, Bo Horvat took the place of Mat Barzal in the Islanders’ game skate against the Devils. This is the second day in a row Horvat has participated in the morning skate. He is wearing a red non-contact jersey,
He said, “It is good to be back on the ice and with the guys.” Horvat had missed four consecutive games for the Islanders and made it five tonight, as he did not play for the islanders. He should be back soon. That is good, the Islanders are 1-2-1 in the four previous games.
Heineman Soars to New Highs
Emil Heineman set a new career-high with 10 shots taken against the Sabres on Saturday. Heineman’s game-tying goal also tied his career-high of 18 points in a season. He sits tied for the fifth most points on the Islanders this season. He ranks second in goals with 12. Notably, 12 is a new career high for him.
Barzal Best of his Career
Barzal got an assist in the last game. He tied his career high assist streak to six games. Barzal assisted on Emil Heineman’s game-tying goal against the Sabres. He is two games away from tying his career-long point-scoring streak. He is second on the Islanders with 29 points.
News and Notes
Ilya Sorokin is hurting for the Islanders, so David Rittich started this game for the Islanders. He is 7-3-2 this year, and he has a 2.55 goals agaist average. His statistics are very similar to Sorokin’s.
In a related move, the Islanders recalled Marcus Hogberg from the Bridgeport Islanders. It has already been established that Hogberg is not a National Hockey League goaltender. He is 5-7-2 at Bridgeport, with a 3.08 goals against average and a .881 save percentage.
The Islanders lead the season series with the Devils. They won 3-2 in overtime on November 10.
The Devils have the eleventh-best power play percentage in the National Hockey League at 20.7 percent. They are, however, just one for their last seven. On the penalty kill, the Devils are killing only 75.8%. That is twenty-seventh in the National Hockey League.
Conclusion
The Islanders, who are reeling, needed this game against the Devils. However, they seem to be struggling to score with the injury to their leading scorer, Bo Horvat. He has missed five games now and has still scored almost twenty percent of the Islanders’ goals. Now the Islanders have an extended break because of Christmas. Actually, the entire league is off for the holiday. They next host the Rangers at 6 p.m. on Saturday.
