Vegas Golden Knights Lose 5-4 To New York Islanders
Vegas was a tough match for the Islanders. The Islanders needed to defend their home ice, but Vegas just has lots of firepower. Several of their stars are hot. They remained so in this game. To their credit, the Islanders battled Vegas. For instance, they scored with about 20 seconds remaining in the first period and tied the game early in the second period. Coming into this game, only seven points separated first and last place in the Metropolitan Division.
Vegas and Islanders Scoring Summary
Vegas is coming off a 3-2 OT win over the New York Rangers on Sunday. Jack Eichel scored the overtime winner 4:52 into the extra frame, just as time was about to expire. That was the second-latest overtime goal scored in Golden Knights history, and only one second earlier than the goal Eichel scored on Oct. 30, 2022. Here is a scoring summary from the game.
In the first period, there were three goals. Noah Hanifan scored for Vegas when they were on a 4 – 3 advantage. It was 1-0 Vegas. Mitch Marner then scored for Vegas to make it 2-0. Then Bo Horvat scored for the Islanders. That tally made it 2-1 Vegas.
In the second period, the Islanders tied the score at 2, when Marc Gatcomb scored. Then Simon Holmstrom scored for the Islanders, giving them a 3-2 lead. In the third period, Ivan Barbashev scored for Vegas, tying the game at 3. Then Horvat scored his second goal of the game, making it 4-3 Islanders. Pavel Dorofeyev scored with 14 seconds left to send this game to OT.
Ilya Sorokin Named NHL First Star of the Week
Ilya Sorokin was named the National Hockey League’s First Star of the Week on Monday. He went 3-0-0 with a 1.33 goals against average, .960 save percentage, and one shutout on the week. That shutout tied him with Chico Resch on the Islanders’ all-time list, with 25 shutouts.
“You know what I love? He looks pretty easy, and that’s great goaltending,” Islanders Head Coach Patrick Roy said about Sorokin’s performance after the 2-0 win over Tampa Bay. “I remember myself … if everything looked easy, I knew I was on a good game.”
Sorokin is 10-8-2 with a 2.47 goals against average, .912 save percentage, and three shutouts this season. However, since November 1, he has gone 7-4-1 with a 1.84 goals against average, a .934 save percentage, and three shutouts.
Pageau Returns for Islanders
Islanders Forward JG Pageau returned to the Islanders lineup tonight after missing eight games with an upper-body injury. He last played in a 2-1 loss to the St. Louis Blues on November 22, but had resumed skating with the team on December 2.
Pageau said, “I’m excited to join the group, it’s never fun to be on the sideline and watching your teammates battling. They have been playing some super good hockey, and I feel extremely excited to join the group and be able to come back to battle with them.”
Pageau took line rushes with Barzal and Anders Lee on Tuesday morning. With Pageau and Barzal both being natural centers, face-off duties will be split, with Roy saying the decision will be made by the two on the ice.
News and Notes
- Barzal has earned four points over the last three games. He currently sits second on the team in scoring with 22 points this season. He is only behind Horvat on the team.
- Barzal scored against Vegas in the team’s last meeting this season. The 28-year-old has 10 points in 13 games against the Golden Knights in his career.
- The Islanders’ penalty kill is 9-for-9 to start December. They are one of five franchises, joining the Dallas Stars, Calgary Flames, Minnesota Wild, and Golden Knights as the only teams to not allow a power-play goal this month.
- The Islanders are 1-0-0 against the Golden Knights this season, winning 4-3 in overtime at T-Mobile Arena on November 13. JG Pageau scored the overtime winner while the Islanders were shorthanded. The other goals came from Emil Heineman, Matthew Schaefer, and Barzal.
- The Islanders are 9-5-1 all-time against the Golden Knights, including 4-2-1 at home.
- This is the second and final meeting between the Islanders and the Golden Knights this season.
Conclusion
This was a difficult game for the Islanders, who are in a tight fight in the Metropolitan Division. The Islanders next play the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday. The Ducks are good, so it does not get any easier for the Islanders.
