The last time the New York Islanders faced the Seattle Kraken at UBS Arena was Bo Horvat's home debut on Feb. 7, 2023, where he scored his first career goal in blue and orange.
The last time the New York Islanders faced the Seattle Kraken at UBS Arena was Bo Horvat's home debut on Feb. 7, 2023, where he scored his first career goal in blue and orange.
EAST MEADOW, NY -- The last time the New York Islanders faced the Seattle Kraken at UBS Arena was Bo Horvat's home debut on Feb. 7, 2023.
And what a debut it was, as the newcomer had a goal on two shots, two hits, and a block in a 4-0 win.
Horvat's third-period goal was not only his first goal in an Islanders sweater, coming in his second game with the club, but was also the beginning of the Mathew Barzal-Horvat connection.
Despite that goal coming over a year ago, the two remember it like it was yesterday.
"It was a broken play. Barzal did a great job of stripping one of the defensemen," Horvat told The Hockey News. "I saw him get the puck, and I tried to get open for him.
"He made a heck of a play to get over to me."
THN joked with Horvat that it was probably one of the worst passes Barzal's given him.
"Yeah," Horvat joked. "He said it wasn't his best. It ended up working out. I'm lucky I got some pretty good wood on it, and it went in."
Barzal thought it was a tremendous night.
"That was sick. Fans were chanting. They were going crazy," Barzal said. "It was great. I was trying to force-feed him a little bit that night, just finding him in a slot. You just watch the play. It's a pretty good description of his game. He went and found open space and batted a puck that wasn't necessarily great and put it top corner, a very skilled player.
"I was pumped. It just felt like something clicked."
With both players locked up on eight-year deals that kicked in this season, getting off on the right skate was critical.
"It was the start of something good,' Barzal said. "It was a good day for our team and the organization and really just for our fan base and everybody because he's a stud, and you need guys like that to win. So, he's definitely a key piece."
The night, outside the goal, was a special one for Horvat.
"It was a great night. To score, especially when you're in front of your home crowd, and you get everybody into it, and everybody was chanting my name, it was really cool," Horvat said. "It was a great welcoming to Long Island.
"Even games to follow that we were playing with each other, it seemed like we had the chemistry from the start. We complement each other really well. And it's been great ever since, and we gotta keep going."