BOSTON — Bo Horvat netted his second goal of the match during an exciting breakaway just three minutes and ten seconds into overtime, leading the New York Islanders to a 5-4 triumph over the Boston Bruins on Sunday evening. This victory marked an end to the Islanders’ three-game losing streak.
Anders Lee was a standout player for the Islanders as he contributed two goals, while Ryan Pulock chipped in with both a goal and an assist. Goalie Ilya Sorokin made 26 saves, allowing his team to secure only their third win out of the last nine games.
Horvat curiously found the net with a wrist shot that squeezed through the pads of Bruins’ goalie Jonas Korpisalo for the overtime winner.
The Bruins saw David Pastrnak shine with two goals, alongside contributions from Cole Koepke and Justin Brazeau, though the team faced their fourth consecutive loss.
After Lee’s second goal put the Islanders ahead by two early in the third period, Pastrnak responded with two quick goals within an 8-minute and 9-second span. His second goal occurred when he charged the net and deftly redirected a pass from Pavel Zacha with 7 minutes and 16 seconds left in regulation.
The Islanders had earlier turned around a 1-0 deficit with Horvat’s short-handed goal, going on to establish a 3-1 advantage. They evened the score when Pulock unleashed a shot from the right point that navigated through traffic, resulting in a goal just over five minutes into the first period, successfully beating Korpisalo, who had recorded 32 saves.
Takeaways from the game indicate that the Islanders managed to consolidate their defensive play across the first two periods in this matchup against the Bruins, notably improving from a previous 6-3 setback at home on November 27, although they became a bit more vulnerable on defense in the third period. Meanwhile, the Bruins are currently in their roughest patch since interim coach Joe Sacco took the reins following Jim Montgomery’s departure on November 19.
A crucial moment happened when the Islanders, initially trailing 1-0 and down a player due to a failed challenge against Koepke’s goal early in the contest, managed to equalize just 21 seconds after Horvat’s goal.
In terms of statistics, New York outperformed Boston in shots on goal, leading 37 to 30.
Looking ahead, the Islanders have a break until they face off against the Golden Knights in Vegas on Thursday, while the Bruins prepare to host the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday.
